Diann Mary Baylis

Diann Mary Baylis earned a high school diploma from Haverhill High School. She earned a bachelor's degree from Merrimack College in 1988 and a law degree from Suffolk Law School in 1998. Her career experience includes working as an attorney.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a mother, wife and attorney. I have a long been an active Democrat, in fact my first job out of college was serving on the staff of the Massachusetts Democratic Party as Deputy Campaign Director. I also served as an elected delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 2024. I am a full time immigration attorney with additional experience in family law. I have been defending the rights of immigrants for many years and now work just with children. Because of that experience, I am focused on the special visa for children that starts in the probate court. As a Governor's Councilor, I would be able to make sure that newly appointed probate judges will be open- minded to these immigrant children's special circumstances.

I am an avid surfer. I also have experience as an actress, most recently appearing as an extra in the Apple+ series Widow's Bay!

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I am standing up for immigrant kids. As an immigration attorney, I bring immigrant kids into the probate court and not always to the immigration court, so that they can secure Special Immigrant Juvenile status, which protects them from deportation and expedites their path to a green card. These judges expect certain documents and are not used to dealing with immigrant children, but I want to make sure that they are being open minded to these kids' unique circumstances per country of origin. I hope to educate the new judges during the vetting process on how some countries do not issue certain documents and discuss ways to find alternate paths to providing evidence to streamline this Special Immigrant Juvenile Visa process.The second key message of my campaign is supporting women and children. When I practiced family law, I often saw the arbitrary nature of decisions that are being made in our probate courts that profoundly affect the lives and safety of women and children, frequently involving for example restraining orders, custody and child support. These are high stakes decisions for families and we need judges in the Probate Court who recognize that.The third key message of my campaign is protecting democracy and the electoral process. The Governor's Council plays an important role in our elections by compiling and certifying state election results before they are considered final. Given the risks facing our democracy, this role is more important than ever. I will fight to protect our elections and ensure that every vote is counted.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about immigrants' rights, the safety of women and children and making sure that judges are not only knowledgeable, but also have integrity, compassion and are open minded at every level of our judiciary. We must ensure that people appointed to judgeships will stand up for the constitutional rights, safety and best interests of all Massachusetts residents, including immigrants, women and children

Our civil rights are under assault by the Trump administration. I want to ensure that we have justices on our Supreme Judicial Court that won't back down.

I have also worked alongside the Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence and Mom's Demand Action, testifying before the legislature for stronger gun laws.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

The Somerville Democratic Party

Campaign websiteBaylis' campaign website stated the following:IssuesThe Governor’s Council is an elected body in Massachusetts that provides advice and consent on the Governor’s judicial and other appointments, and reviews pardons and commutations. The Council also compiles and certifies state election results.Standing up for immigrant kidsWhile most immigration proceedings take place in federal immigration courts, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, a path to citizenship for unaccompanied minors, is determined through the state probate courts. I want to ensure that our probate judges are showing compassion to these children, and not retraumatizing kids that have already been through enough.Supporting Women and ChildrenI have also practiced family law, and I have seen the arbitrary nature of decisions that are being made that profoundly effect the lives and safety of women and children in our probate courts, on issues of custody, child support, and domestic violence. These are high stakes decisions for families, and we need judges in the probate court who recognize that.Election ProtectionThe Governor’s Council plays an important role in our elections, by compiling and certifying state election results. Given the risks facing our democracy, this role is more important than ever. I will fight to protect our elections and to ensure that every vote is counted.Maintaining our Constitutional RightsThe Governor’s Council also considers nominations to the Supreme Judicial Court, where we need justices that will fight back against those at the federal level who want to to undermine our constitutional rights and jeopardize our freedoms as Americans.— Diann Mary Baylis' campaign website (August 28, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

Diann Mary Baylis did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2022 Candidate Connection survey.