Her son, John, said she died of complications from dementia.
She was the commonwealth’s first lady from 1975 to 1979 and from 1983 to 1991. Dukakis drew criticism for her dealings with state officials that she deemed weren’t paying enough attention to her causes or didn’t serve her husband well enough. She blamed the criticism on jealousy and sexism.
“Have you ever heard the words assertive or aggressive used to describe the male spouse of a candidate?” she said to the Los Angeles Times. “I think there’s a real double standard when it comes to strong, assertive women.”
Kitty described herself as being driven by “compassion and humanitarian concern” and was “fiercely proud” of her Jewish heritage. She provided a contrast to her husband’s frugal tendencies, which involved flying in coach and mowing his own lawn, by wearing designer clothing and flying first class.
“Michael can take a peanut out of the can,” she once said. “I eat the whole can.”
Her husband ran for president in 1988 and won the Democratic nomination to face off against eventual winner George H.W. Bush. Bush won with 426 electoral votes compared to just 111 for Dukakis, one of the worst defeats for Democrats in the presidential election.
The final presidential debate featured a question challenging Dukakis’s stance on the death penalty. He was asked, “Governor, if Kitty Dukakis was raped and murdered, would you favor an irrevocable death penalty for the killer?”
TRACKING WHAT DOGE IS DOING ACROSS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
He ignored the question, instead saying he was opposed to the death penalty. Kitty later called the question “outrageous.”
Dukakis’s response contributed to his defeat, with voters viewing him as unemotional. The former Massachusetts first lady is survived by her husband, who is 91 years old.
