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Lydia Edwards
2023 - Present
2027
2
Lydia Edwards (Democratic Party) is a member of the Massachusetts State Senate, representing the 3rd Suffolk District. She assumed office on January 4, 2023. Her current term ends on January 6, 2027.
Edwards (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Massachusetts State Senate to represent the 3rd Suffolk District. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Biography
Lydia Edwards earned a B.A. in political science and legal policy studies from Fordham University in 2003, a J.D. from American University in 2006, and an LL.M. in taxation from Boston University in 2015. Edwards' career experience includes working as a counsel with Jason Wiener P.C., the deputy director of the office of housing stability of the city of Boston, and a Massachusetts campaign coordinator with the National Domestic Workers Alliance.[1]
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.
2023-2024
Edwards was assigned to the following committees:
- Senate Committee on Juvenile and Emerging Adult Justice
- Senate Ways and Means Committee
- Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities Joint Committee
- Housing Joint Committee, Chair
- Judiciary Joint Committee, Vice Chair
- Municipalities and Regional Government Joint Committee
- Revenue Joint Committee
- Ways and Means Joint Committee
Elections
2024
See also: Massachusetts State Senate elections, 2024
General election
General election for Massachusetts State Senate 3rd Suffolk District
Incumbent Lydia Edwards defeated Jeanna Tamas in the general election for Massachusetts State Senate 3rd Suffolk District on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Lydia Edwards (D) | 69.9 | 41,690 |
| Jeanna Tamas (R) | 29.6 | 17,681 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.5 | 281 | ||
| Total votes: 59,652 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Massachusetts State Senate 3rd Suffolk District
Incumbent Lydia Edwards advanced from the Democratic primary for Massachusetts State Senate 3rd Suffolk District on September 3, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Lydia Edwards | 98.3 | 9,346 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.7 | 157 | ||
| Total votes: 9,503 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Massachusetts State Senate 3rd Suffolk District
Jeanna Tamas advanced from the Republican primary for Massachusetts State Senate 3rd Suffolk District on September 3, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Jeanna Tamas | 98.4 | 1,817 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.6 | 30 | ||
| Total votes: 1,847 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Edwards in this election.
2022
Regular
See also: Massachusetts State Senate elections, 2022
General election
General election for Massachusetts State Senate 3rd Suffolk District
Incumbent Lydia Edwards won election in the general election for Massachusetts State Senate 3rd Suffolk District on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Lydia Edwards (D) | 97.0 | 32,396 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 3.0 | 1,006 | ||
| Total votes: 33,402 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Massachusetts State Senate 3rd Suffolk District
Incumbent Lydia Edwards advanced from the Democratic primary for Massachusetts State Senate 3rd Suffolk District on September 6, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Lydia Edwards | 98.9 | 11,497 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.1 | 131 | ||
| Total votes: 11,628 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Special
See also: Massachusetts state legislative special elections, 2022
General election
Special general election for Massachusetts State Senate 1st Suffolk and Middlesex District (Historical)
Lydia Edwards won election in the special general election for Massachusetts State Senate 1st Suffolk and Middlesex District (Historical) on January 11, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Lydia Edwards (D) | 94.9 | 1,764 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 5.1 | 95 | ||
| Total votes: 1,859 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Special Democratic primary for Massachusetts State Senate 1st Suffolk and Middlesex District (Historical)
Lydia Edwards defeated Anthony D'Ambrosio in the special Democratic primary for Massachusetts State Senate 1st Suffolk and Middlesex District (Historical) on December 14, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Lydia Edwards | 60.1 | 8,147 |
 | Anthony D'Ambrosio | 39.7 | 5,386 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 34 | ||
| Total votes: 13,567 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2021
See also: City elections in Boston, Massachusetts (2021)
General election
General election for Boston City Council District 1
Incumbent Lydia Edwards won election in the general election for Boston City Council District 1 on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Lydia Edwards (Nonpartisan) | 97.3 | 10,558 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 2.7 | 296 | ||
| Total votes: 10,854 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Lydia Edwards advanced from the primary for Boston City Council District 1.
2019
See also: City elections in Boston, Massachusetts (2019)
General election
General election for Boston City Council District 1
Incumbent Lydia Edwards won election in the general election for Boston City Council District 1 on November 5, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Lydia Edwards (Nonpartisan) | 96.6 | 4,400 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 3.4 | 155 | ||
| Total votes: 4,555 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Lydia Edwards advanced from the primary for Boston City Council District 1.
2017
The city of Boston, Massachusetts, held elections for mayor and city council on November 7, 2017. A primary election occurred on September 26, 2017. All 13 seats on the city council were up for election. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was May 23, 2017.
Lydia Edwards defeated Stephen Passacantilli in the general election for District 1 on the Boston City Council.[2]
| Boston City Council, District 1 General Election, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Lydia Edwards |
52.70% | 6,906 |
| Stephen Passacantilli | 47.17% | 6,182 |
| Write-in votes | 0.13% | 17 |
| Total Votes | 13,105 | |
| Source: City of Boston, "Official Ward 1 Election Results," accessed November 27, 2017 | ||
Stephen Passacantilli and Lydia Edwards defeated Margaret Farmer in the primary election for District 1 on the Boston City Council.[3]
| Boston City Council, District 1 Nonpartisan Primary Election, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Stephen Passacantilli |
47.00% | 3,628 |
| Lydia Edwards |
45.95% | 3,547 |
| Margaret Farmer | 6.76% | 522 |
| Write-in votes | 0.29% | 22 |
| Total Votes | 7,719 | |
| Source: City of Boston, "Official District 1 election results," September 26, 2017 | ||
2016
A special election for the position of Massachusetts State Senate First Suffolk and Middlesex District was called for May 10. A primary election took place on April 12. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 8, 2016.[4]
The seat was vacant following Anthony Petruccelli's (D) resignation on January 21, 2016.[5]
Joseph Boncore defeated Lydia Marie Edwards, Diana Hwang, Jay Livingstone, Steven Morabito, Dan Rizzo, and Paul Rogers in the Democratic primary.[6][7][8] Boncore was unopposed in the special election.
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Joseph Boncore |
25.7% | 4,013 |
| Dan Rizzo | 23.2% | 3,628 |
| Jay Livingstone | 18% | 2,813 |
| Lydia Marie Edwards | 14.6% | 2,280 |
| Diana Hwang | 13.3% | 2,085 |
| Steven Morabito | 3.9% | 607 |
| Paul Rogers | 1.1% | 175 |
| All Others | 0.1% | 19 |
| Blank Votes | 0.1% | 9 |
| Total Votes | 15,629 | |
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Lydia Edwards did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
Regular
Lydia Edwards did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
Special
Lydia Edwards did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2021
Lydia Edwards did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.
2019
Lydia Edwards did not complete Ballotpedia's 2019 Candidate Connection survey.
2017
Edwards' website highlighted the following campaign themes:[9]
Independent voice
- Excerpt: "Having worked in city government I know what it takes to assure a community is well-represented and has access to the resources it needs. I know when to go “toe to toe” with developers, big banks, our local government, and casinos and when to invite stakeholders to the table to discuss collaborative solutions for our everyday problems. It’s a delicate balance, but today we need that kind of advocacy more than ever."
Housing
- Excerpt: "Our housing policies need to combine pathways to ownership and prevent high concentrations of poverty in one area. Therefore, as a city councilor I will advocate for more ways in which we can create homeowners either through cooperative ownership, land trusts, rent to own programs to allow tenants to gain equity, and classes for homeowners seeking to make a profit and make a difference through selling to local community development organizations or through taking advantage of the new donative tax credit that allows homeowners to gain a large marketable tax credit if their choose to sell below market."
Education
- Excerpt: "I support universal Pre-K for Boston students. Early education puts students in a safe, wholesome environment and frees parents to pursue career advancement or volunteer in their communities. I believe that so much of a school’s success depends on the resources and community that surrounds the schools. I support increasing after school programs, art and music classes. I also want to see an increase in vocational schooling for our high school students."
Transportation
- Excerpt: "Public transportation is a huge driver for Boston’s economy and allows long-term residents, recent arrivals and visitors an opportunity to work, study, travel the city, enjoy our food and cultural offerings and much more. Public transportation also reduces traffic, air pollution and climate change and is a key part of our strategy to build a 21st-century sustainable city. We must continue to invest in public transportation and I will be a strong advocate for public transit, including subway, bus, ferry and rail services that bridge Boston with other parts of the state."
Environment
- Excerpt: "As your councilor, I will be a strong advocate for a sustainable and climate-friendly city. Together, we can build a resilient Boston, working with natural design––adding rain gardens, permeable pavement and planting trees to mitigate stormwater runoff––as well as innovative 21st-century engineering to create and retrofit housing stock and commercial properties to resist strong winds or high waters, keep power online during harsh conditions and ensure critical services like food shipment and medical treatment facilities keep operating during even the most difficult scenarios."
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Massachusetts scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2024
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show]. |
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In 2024, the Massachusetts State Legislature was in session from January 3 to December 31. Formal session ended on July 31, 2024 and an informal session was convened from August 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024.
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2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the Massachusetts State Legislature was in session from January 4 to November 15.
|
2022
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show]. |
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In 2022, the Massachusetts State Legislature was in session from January 5 to August 1.
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See also
2024 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Massachusetts State Senate 3rd Suffolk District |
Officeholder Massachusetts State Senate 3rd Suffolk District |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Lydia Edwards," accessed February 16, 2022
- ↑ City of Boston, "Election Department Certifies Candidates For Municipal Election," June 5, 2017
- ↑ City of Boston, "Election Department Certifies Candidates For Municipal Election," June 5, 2017
- ↑ Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Special State Election- First Suffolk and Middlesex Senate District*," accessed January 25, 2016
- ↑ wwlp.com, "Senate plans pair of special elections on may 10th," accessed January 13, 2016
- ↑ bostonherald.com, "Joseph Boncore winner of vacated Senate seat," accessed April 13, 2016
- ↑ Boston Globe, "Political Happy Hour: March 8, 2016," accessed March 9, 2016
- ↑ Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "2016 State Representative Special Democratic Primary," accessed September 7, 2016
- ↑ Lydia Edwards campaign website, "Issues," accessed July 12, 2017
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Massachusetts State Senate 3rd Suffolk District 2023-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by Joseph Boncore (D) |
Massachusetts State Senate 1st Suffolk and Middlesex District (Historical) 2022-2023 |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Boston City Council District 1 2018-2022 |
Succeeded by Gabriela Coletta Zapata |
