Preceded by Fred I. Lamson Occupation Attorney Political party Democratic | Nationality American Name Stephen McGrail | |
Born September 23, 1948 (age 75)
Melrose, Massachusetts ( 1948-09-23 ) Alma mater Northeastern University
Suffolk University Law School | ||
Succeeded by John A. Brennan, Jr. | ||
Stephen John McGrail is an American politician who served in the Massachusetts Senate.
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Early life
McGrail was born on September 23, 1948 in Melrose, Massachusetts. He graduated from Wakefield Memorial High School, Northeastern University, and Suffolk University Law School.
Politics
McGrail served on the Wakefield, Massachusetts Board of Selectmen from 1971 to 1973. Elected at age 22, he is the youngest Selectman to serve in the Town's history. In 1972 Steve McGrail defeated 20 year incumbent State Senator Fred Lamson (R-Malden) to become the youngest State Senator in the history of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. From 1973 to 1977, he represented the 4th Middlesex District in the Massachusetts Senate. In 1976, he relinquished his State Senate seat to become a candidate for the Massachusetts's 7th congressional district seat previously held by Torbert MacDonald. He finished fourth in a twelve candidate Democratic primary won by Ed Markey.
In 1977 McGrail was appointed Assistant District Attorney (ADA) for Middlesex County by District Attorney John Droney and served under First Assistant John Kerry. Steve McGrail served two years as a ADA before being appointed by President Jimmy Carter in November 1979 as the first Regional Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for Region I. McGrail left FEMA in February 1981 after President Ronald Reagan assumed office.
From 1981 - 1999 McGrail established a general practice of law in the Town of Wakefield, MA.
In 1986, McGrail challenged and lost to incumbent Middlesex District Attorney Scott Harshbarger in the Democratic primary.
In 1990, McGrail ran for the Massachusetts Senate seat in the Middlesex and Essex district. He lost in the Democratic primary to Mike Festa.
Steve McGrail also was elected and served as a Commissioner of the Wakefield Municipal Light & Gas Department and served on the Wakefield Finance Committee.
In 1999 Governor Paul Cellucci (R) appointed McGrail Director of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) where he served until 2004. McGrail has continued to work in emergency management as a consultant/lawyer since his retirement from State service. From 2012 - 2016 he has been a consultant for the State of New York Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) working to restore critical infrastructure with New York City and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) following Hurricane Sandy.