Steven Pierce

Steven D. Pierce (born October 10, 1949), is a retired Massachusetts jurist and politician who most recently served as Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Housing Court. He retired from the Housing Court effective September 2015. A graduate of Union College and the Duke University School of Law, Pierce worked as an attorney before being elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1978. He was the House Minority Whip from 1983–87 and from 1987-1991 he was the House Minority Leader. Pierce sought the Republican nomination for Governor in 1990. Pierce was considered the favorite to win the nomination. He won the vote at the State Convention and led his opponent William Weld in opinion polls by as much as 25%. However, on September 18, he lost the Republican Primary to Weld 61%-39%. Weld later appointed Pierce to the position of Secretary of Communities and Development. In 1991, Pierce ran in a special election for the Massachusetts's 1st congressional seat. He won the Republican nomination, but lost in the general election to Democrat John Olver. Pierce rejoined the Weld administration in 1993 as a senior adviser to the governor. In 1994, he was appointed Executive Director of the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency (later known as MassHousing). He left MassHousing in 2001 to serve as chief legal counsel to acting governor Jane M. Swift. Shortly before her term expired, Swift nominated Pierce to be the Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Housing Court. He was confirmed by the Massachusetts Governor's Council 6-2.