Longest Serving Woman on Beacon Hill to Step Down

Rep. Gloria Fox (right) stands with formerr Sen. Dianne Wilkerson at campaign event for Charles Yancey. Photo by Garrett Quinn

The longest serving woman on Beacon Hill is stepping down from her post later this year.

State Representative Gloria Fox of Roxbury has announced she is not running for reelection to the position she has held since 1985. Fox is one of two black women currently serving in in elected positions on Beacon Hill. Of the 200 legislative seats on Beacon, 50 are held by women and six by African Americans.

In a statement from her office, Fox said that she was most proud of her work for foster children, since she was one herself once. Fox is the founder of the legislature’s Foster Care Caucus and currently the co-chair of the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators. In 1998, her committee authored a scathing report on the state of foster care in Massachusetts in the aftermath of a series of tragic runaways.

“I have spent most of my adult life working in human service, and human and community development; even before I was elected to public office. My mission to see change and development for the Greater Roxbury community and the 7th Suffolk district has been my passion. It has been exciting and challenging representing the hardest working, most diverse, and most colorful district in the Commonwealth. I will be forever grateful to the residents of Roxbury and the rest of the district, for your repeated demonstrations of support. It has been rewarding in many personal and political ways. I have had many challenges but you stood up tall for me every time. I hope that you know that I tried to stand tall for you!”

Two women have filed to run for Fox’s seat this fall, Chynah Tyler of Roxbury and Monica Monique Cannon, also of Roxbury. Tyler is a former aide to Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz.