Growing up in Ireland, Dorothy Kelly Gay watched her father contribute to his town through his career of nursing and his love of politics.

After a chance move to Somerville thirty years ago, Gay started combining these two interests in an effort to contribute to her new hometown.

That eventually led to a life in public office. Now the mayor of Somerville, Gay was elected on May 11 in a special election to fill the seat vacated by Rep. Michael A. Capuano (D--Somerville) when he left for Washington.

She will be running unopposed next month for a full term.

In a recent interview with The Crimson, Gay outlined her priorities as mayor, her desire to see Somerville form closer bonds with Harvard, and her path from the British Isles to Somerville City Hall.

Activism in Her Blood

Gay was born in Ireland in 1943. Her father, a grass-roots politician, nurse and union activist, imbued her with a civic sense and a desire to be a nurse.

This desire led Gay to leave Ireland in 1961; she moved to England to pursue a nursing career.