BOSTON — Ann-Margaret Ferrante of Gloucester and Carol Doherty of Taunton, both Democrats, missed the swearing-in ceremony for state representatives and the vote for House speaker last week.
The absences of Ferrante and Doherty meant they have not been sworn in for the lawmaking term that began Jan. 1.
Ferrante told Beacon Hill Roll Call that she was absent due to a medical issue. She recently opened up about her challenge of undergoing treatments for pancreatic cancer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute while tackling her role on Beacon Hill.
Doherty told the News Service that she was not in attendance for Wednesday’s session because she was ill.
Gov. Maura Healey plans to swear in Ferrante at noon Wednesday, and her office said details on the plan for Doherty to be sworn in would be forthcoming.
Ronald Mariano, a Quincy Democrat who has led the House as speaker since late 2020, was returned to the speaker’s office Wednesday by 132 votes, with 21 votes from the GOP caucus for Minority Leader Bradley Jones of North Reading and four for Republican Rep. Marc Lombardo of Billerica.
Besides Ferrante’s and Doherty’s, the only missing vote was that of Beverly’s Jerald Parisella, who resigned a few hours earlier. Parisella was reelected to his House seat but opted instead to take the oath of office as a District Court judge Wednesday.
No Democrats voted for anyone other than Mariano for speaker and most of the Republican caucus was united behind Jones, who has been chosen by the caucus as the chamber’s top Republican since 2002. The four who voted for the more unabashedly conservative leadership Lombardo pitched were himself and Reps. Nicholas Boldyga of Southwick, Michael Chaisson of Foxborough and Justin Thurber of Somerset.
The House’s one independent member, former Republican Rep. Susannah Whipps of Athol, again cast her vote for Mariano as speaker Wednesday.
Material from the State House News Service was used in this report.