predecessor successor religion birth_place title party office profession birth_date term_start order article_title term_end name
scott harshbarger scott harshbarger martha coakley martha coakley roman catholic springfield , massachusetts massachusetts attorney general democrat district attorney of middlesex county lawyer 14 february 1942 january 7 , 1999 january 3 , 1991 57th thomas reilly
 january 17 , 2007 january 7 , 1999 thomas f. reilly
thomas reilly

thomas f. reilly -lrb- born february 14 , 1942 -rrb- is an american attorney and politician who served as the 45th massachusetts attorney general .
he was born in springfield , massachusetts to irish immigrant parents .
he was one of three candidates who sought the democratic nomination for governor of massachusetts in the 2006 election .
former u.s. assistant attorney general deval patrick won the party 's nomination and the general election , defeating reilly and businessman chris gabrieli .
