With the 2026 midterms fast approaching, Massachusetts residents will soon vote on a little-known position that nearly single-handedly controls the fate of the state’s judicial system — the Governor’s Council. 

One candidate for District 4, which encompasses much of Boston and its suburbs, is Jordan Korgood, an activist and Northeastern class of 2024 alum. Voters will cast their votes in the primary Sept. 1, before the general election on Nov. 3. 

Korgood is running against incumbent Christopher Iannella and Ronald Iacobucci, a candidate in the 2024 election. 

The Huntington News sat down with Korgood to talk about their candidacy, policies and how they hope to change the council.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The Huntington News: Could you tell me a little bit more about the Governor’s Council position, and what specifically about the position inspired you to run in this election? 

Korgood: The Governor’s Council is essentially the body that is responsible for appointing all judicial nominations for Massachusetts because we don’t elect any judges directly here in the state. I was first drawn to the Governor’s Council following my involvement as a student activist at Northeastern. I was involved with a lot of campus activism and protest[s], particularly around some of the pro-Palestine organizing in the fall of 2023 and the spring of 2024 on Northeastern’s campus, which culminated in my arrest.

I found out that none of our judges here in Massachusetts are directly elected and that this small council of eight people across the state are directly responsible for choosing every single judge and judicial officer for the state, so indirectly, the eight members of the Governor’s Council hold a significant amount of power in terms of the judicial system and its equitability. A lot of the priorities of the bench and the priorities of what ends up being charged and what ends up being punished in this state are shaped via the Governor’s Council first. 

HN: How did your activism career develop into a political one?

I’ve always used my voice to try to speak up for the marginalized communities that I’m both a part of and for the ones that I’m not a part of. Running for office is one of the most direct ways that you can make a change and actually use your voice and use your power to shape the political system around you to better represent and make more equitable the systems of power for all Massachusetts residents.

HN: What are some things that you’ve learned as an activist that influence your policies or your stances today?

Korgood: Activism has constantly forced me to remind myself of the bigger picture, which sometimes means taking a step back, but doing what is needed for the greater good and not for yourself. That’s the biggest lesson that activism has taught me that I’m hoping to bring into politics. 

HN: When you’re canvassing, what do you see come up as the most important issues to most voters? 

Korgood: I think people, more than ever, in the U.S. are tired of establishment politicians. I think right now, we have an angry populace and a frustrated electorate that wants actual, serious change. 

I’m running against a 41-year incumbent that sometimes doesn’t even bother showing up to meetings and votes. He’s known for rubber-stamping judicial candidates without actually scrutinizing or critically investigating the nominees’ values. So I’m focused on appointing candidates that actually care about the values of my constituents and that care about the values of Massachusetts. 

Trump is using [the] federal judiciary to attack on all fronts, to try to disempower and disenfranchise many members of [minority] groups, and I want to ensure that Massachusetts judges are using their whole judicial authority to protect the rights of those who belong to the working class, those who are undocumented, those who are seeking reproductive care, those who are queer or trans. 

There has not been a more important time to have judges and to have elected officials that will go out swinging to protect these rights and to protect the autonomy and well-being of all of these groups. I think that’s the thing that’s spoken most to folks while I’m out on the campaign trail, is that I’m not shy about what I support.

HN: You’re running against an incumbent who’s held the position in District 4 since 1993 and has been on the Governor’s Council since 1985. What do you think you will bring to the Governor’s Council that differs from your opponents in this election and from other councilors that represent other parts of Massachusetts? 

Korgood: The Governor’s Council is known for being one of the most incumbent-friendly bodies in a state that is one of the most incumbent-friendly states in the country. The Governor’s Council, particularly, has a lot to gain from having these incumbents sit forever. 

It means that the governor knows that the council is going to be in her pocket and that she [Healey] won’t expect much pushback when she goes to suggest or recommend a nominee to go before the council. I am much more interested in having judges that are going to fight tooth and nail in the interests of Massachusetts residents rather than cozying up to the governor or emphasizing the importance of trying to not upset these fragile balances of political networks. 

HN: This position doesn’t get as much attention compared to governor or senator. Why do you think this position and the Governor’s Council as a whole are especially important, given today’s political climate with the federal government stripping away the rights of the courts? 

Korgood: I think, in the past, the Governor’s Council, while it has a noble and important function, has not been used to properly do that function, which is to ensure that the appointed judges of this state are representing the interests of the residents of this state. We’ve seen that in these 40-plus-year incumbents that sit on the council and vote yes to approve almost every single nominee. 

I think now, while Trump is using the federal judiciary against folks like myself: I’m a trans individual [and] I rely on gender affirming care that I can access in Massachusetts. It’s in my own interest, and it’s in the interest of Massachusetts, to ensure that our judges will use their authority and use their power to voice their support and to give a legal ground in Massachusetts for folks from all of these different groups to be able to live freely without fear of attack, targeting or suppression here in Massachusetts. 

HN: Is there anything else that you’d like to say to voters ahead of the election?  

Korgood: I know a lot of people right now are incredibly frustrated and upset about the state of the country and the world. I want to reaffirm and I want to hold myself accountable to this: Once I’m elected and while I’m in office, I seek to use this position to represent the will and interests of all constituents. 

I want to use my power and use my voice to speak up for all of those who are disenfranchised and marginalized in this state. I think it’s high time that we have a member of the Governor’s Council who’s not afraid to speak about what matters to them and what matters to their neighbor and community. 

I want to hold myself accountable to that once I’m elected, and I’m really excited to actually use my post and power to make Massachusetts a better place for all.