No Election Schedule Set Until Cole's Resignation Date

Earlier this week, Peabody State Representative Leah Cole announced she is stepping down from her role at the State House to pursue her career and studies in nursing full time.

The schedule for a possible special election to fill that seat won’t be known until Cole is no longer in office.

“As many people know, prior to being elected to the House of Representatives, I was working as a nurse full-time and continued to work as a nurse part-time after being elected,” Cole said. “I decided to get involved in public service because I wanted to contribute to our state policies and invoke positive changes, but I never intended for politics to be a life-long career.”

Cole stated that her resignation will be official as of Monday, Sept. 28.

“The House of Representatives would adopt an order calling for a special election when there is a vacancy,” said Brian McNiff, the Secretary of State’s communications director. “Right now, there isn’t one.”

Cole was only 24 in 2013 when she won a special election to replace the late Joyce Spiliotis. Cole won a tight race against two well-known Peabody figures, Beverley Griffin Dunne and Dave Gravel.