Having called off plans to run for another office, Lt. Gov. Tim Murray plans to resign with 19 months left on his four year term and take a job closer to his Worcester home.
According to a source within the Patrick administration, Murray plans to become the next executive director of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, contingent on a vote of the chamber’s board at noon Wednesday. If affirmed, Murray will earn more than $200,000 in his new job.
A press conference with Gov. Deval Patrick and Murray is likely sometime early Wednesday afternoon. Heading into his second four-year term as Gov. Patrick’s righthand man, Murray’s political future appeared bright and he was considered by many as a solid contender to succeed Patrick. But the former mayor of Worcester has been dogged by a probe into his relationship with corrupt former Chelsea Housing Authority director Michael McLaughlin as well as lingering questions among Massachusetts citizens about a high-speed car crash.
Throughout his tenure, Murray was a loyal Patrick supporter, defending the governor during his reelection campaign and attacking his opponent, Republican Charles Baker.
Since Massachusetts does not have a process to fill the lieutenant governor’s office should it become vacated, Gov. Patrick and other administration officials will have to absorb Murray’s workload. One of the top jobs of the lieutenant governor is to preside over weekly, and often raucous, meetings of the Governor’s Council, which is charged with vetting and voting on Patrick’s judicial nominees.
Patrick has said repeatedly that he intends to serve his full second term, which ends at the end of 2014, and Murray's departure means that Secretary of State William Galvin, moves up on the acting governor depth chart should Patrick be out of state or in the event that he should leave office for any reason.
