BOSTON—An expected vote on the nomination of an openly lesbian former Massachusetts state senator to be a judge at the Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents was delayed March 19 after one member of the Governor’s Council accused her of lacking the necessary credentials and others expressed concern about a political finance account she maintains.

Instead, councilors agreed to postpone a final vote on the nomination of former Sen. Cheryl Jacques for one week.

Councilor Mary-Ellen Manning of Salem said she plans to vote against Jacques because she believes the former senator was nominated in return for raising money for Gov. Deval Patrick.

While Jacques has served as an assistant Middlesex County district attorney and an assistant attorney general, she has had little experience in the workmen’s compensation arena.

The Boston Herald reported March 19 that Jacques still had an open campaign account with $127,000 in it, money she would be free to donate to political causes. While most judges are banned from maintaining such committees to avoid conflicts of interest, administrative judges are considered quasi-judicial figures who are not banned from maintaining such accounts.

News of the account surprised other council members who had previously expressed support for Jacques. Manning also questioned whether Jacques’ potential pension factored into her nomination.

The 46-year-old has credit for 16 years of state service, short of the 20 needed to qualify for the maximum state pension.

Jacques faced similar criticism when she resigned from the senate Nov. 13, 2003, to accept a new job as president of the Human Rights Campaign but did not make it effective until Jan. 4, 2004. State law allows officials to claim a year of service even if they work just a single day in a new calendar year.