SALEM — For the first time since 2000, voters will have a choice in a general election on who becomes the Essex County clerk of courts.
Incumbent Thomas Driscoll, a Democrat from Swampscott, is facing challenges from unenrolled candidate Todd Angilly of Lynnfield and independent candidate Doris Rodriguez of Lawrence in Tuesday’s election.
The clerk of courts oversees the administration of the Superior Court in Essex County, including courthouses in Salem, Lawrence and Newburyport. Superior Court handles all major felonies as well as civil cases involving damages more than $50,000.
Driscoll has held the position for 24 years. He hadn’t face a reelection challenge until this year when he defeated James Doherty in the Democratic primary.
The term of office is for six years and the salary is $174,532.
Thomas Driscoll
Driscoll is touting his 24 years of experience in the position and his background as a lawyer as the main reasons for voters to return him to the job.
“It’s a very efficient court,” Driscoll said. “Access to justice is really our battle cry and that’s what I’ve delivered to the people of Essex County.”
Driscoll noted that he won all 34 cities and towns in his primary win and has been endorsed by multiple public officials, including Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey and Congressman Seth Moulton.
Driscoll, 65, said he has served through many changes to Superior Court, including the increase in remote hearings since the pandemic. He said he has worked on improving access to the court, including for non-English speakers, and has invited the public in for tours of the courthouses.
Driscoll said people might not be aware of the clerk of court’s role because “we do such a good job.”
“Mistakes in Superior Court have devastating effects on society,” he said. “Oftentimes when things are running smoothly people become accustomed to that.”
Todd Angilly
Angilly said he decided to run for clerk of courts because the position has become “stale and complacent” under Driscoll.
Angilly worked as a probation officer for 12 years, including five years in Essex Superior Court in Salem. He is now director of workforce development for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.
Angilly said he would reach out to the community to let them know more about how Superior Court works, including by holding events at the courthouse such as cookouts and tours.
“There’s so much going on in the courthouse,” he said. “I just see it as a wonderful opportunity to become part of the community in Essex County and engage the public.”
Angilly said he’s running as an unenrolled candidate because it’s important for anyone coming before the court to be assured that the clerk will be impartial.
“I don’t believe political parties should be involved in the court system,” he said. “Individuals that go into the court system need to feel comfortable that they’re getting a fair, even playing field. To have someone without a political affiliation is a bad look.”
Angilly, 49, is best known as the man who sings the National Anthem before Boston Bruins games. “Obviously that’s what people know about me,” he said. “It’s something that I do in my other life. It adds to the positiveness of my background.”
Doris Rodriguez
Rodriguez is a lawyer who said she has the “education, legal experience, and skills necessary to understand and manage the clerk’s office’s complexities.” She was class president at Lawrence High School, earned a bachelor’s degree at Merrimack College and a law degree at Suffolk Law School.
Rodriguez said she would prioritize community outreach as clerk of courts and promote transparency, fiscal accountability and public accessibility.
Rodriguez said she was raised by immigrant parents who came to the United States from the Dominican Republic to pursue the American dream.
“I could remember from a young age how my parents worked hard to support our family and I made a promise to myself that I would be the best I could be, as a daughter, student, neighbor, and citizen, as an admiration to their dedication,” she said.
Rodriguez also ran for state senator in 2014 and 2022, according to campaign finance records and published reports.
Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.