Lydia Edwards

She and her twin sister were raised by their mother who served in the United States Air Force.{{Cite web |date=2018-01-30 |title=Lydia Edwards {{!}} Boston.gov |url=https://www.boston.gov/departments/city-council/lydia-edwards |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=www.boston.gov |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Prestigious Position: Sen. Edwards Sworn In As JAG in Massachusetts Army National Guard – Beacon Hill Times |url=https://beaconhilltimes.com/2023/11/02/prestigious-position-sen-edwards-sworn-in-as-jag-in-massachusetts-army-national-guard/ |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=beaconhilltimes.com}} Edwards earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Fordham University, a Juris Doctor from the Washington College of Law, and a Master of Laws in taxation from Boston University School of Law.[https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydia-edwards-b750024/ LinkedIn Profile]{{Cite web |last=Via |first=Vinny La |date=2022-01-06 |title=Former Gwinn resident running for Massachusetts State Senate |url=https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2022/01/06/former-gwinn-resident-running-massachusetts-state-senate/ |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=WLUCTV6 |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Lydia Edwards {{!}} State Senator {{!}} About Lydia |url=https://www.lydiaedwards.org/about-lydia |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=Lydia Edwards |language=en}}

Edwards has worked as a public interest attorney with Greater Boston Legal Services and served as the deputy director within the Mayor's Office of Housing Stability.

File:Lydia Edwards.png

Edwards was elected to the Boston City Council in November 2017 and assumed office in January 2018. She represents the North End, East Boston, and Charlestown.{{cite news|last1=Dolorico|first1=Maria|date=April 23, 2019|title=Councilor Lydia Edwards Hires Maria Dolorico as Campaign Manager for Re-Election|publisher=North End Waterfront|url=https://northendwaterfront.com/2019/04/councilor-lydia-edwards-hires-maria-dolorico-as-campaign-manager-for-re-election/|accessdate=29 September 2019}} Edwards was a member of the council's liberal wing. Other members of this informal grouping included Ayanna Pressley and Michelle Wu.{{cite magazine |last1=Kim |first1=E. Tammy |title=Boston's Mayor Makes Friends—and Enemies—with Her Focus on Housing |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/persons-of-interest/bostons-mayor-makes-friends-and-enemies-with-her-focus-on-housing |magazine=The New Yorker |access-date=18 June 2024 |date=20 March 2024}}

In July 2018, Edwards and fellow city councilors Kim Janey and Michelle Wu introduced legislation to remove as-of-right designations for chain stores, requiring a conditional use permit for chain stores to open and operate in any area designated as a "neighborhood business district."{{cite web |title=City Councilors Introduce Legislation to Limit Zoning for Chain Stores – NorthEndWaterfront.com |url=https://northendwaterfront.com/2018/07/city-councilors-introduce-legislation-to-limit-zoning-for-chain-stores/ |website=northendwaterfront.com |publisher=North End Waterfront |access-date=August 25, 2021 |date=July 11, 2018 |archive-date=August 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210825211823/https://northendwaterfront.com/2018/07/city-councilors-introduce-legislation-to-limit-zoning-for-chain-stores/ |url-status=live }}

Edwards and fellow councilor Kim Janey proposed a real estate transfer tax. Negotiations with other city councilors reduced this to a 2% tax on properties valued at $2 million or more, a decrease from their original proposal of a 6% tax. In December 2019, the Boston City Council voted to adopt Janey and Edwards' home rule petition requesting that the state permit the city to impose such as tax. Mayor Marty Walsh advanced the home rule petition to the legislature. If the petition had been authorized by the state, revenue raised from the tax (predicted to be in excess of $160 million annually) was to be placed in the city's Neighborhood Housing Trust to build affordable housing.{{cite web |last1=Betancourt |first1=Sarah |title=Boston approves fee on real estate transactions |url=https://commonwealthmagazine.org/housing/boston-approves-fee-on-real-estate-transactions/ |website=CommonWealth Magazine |access-date=29 July 2023 |date=11 December 2019}}{{cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Yawu |title=Mayor signs off on real estate transfer fee |url=https://www.baystatebanner.com/2019/12/19/mayor-signs-off-on-real-estate-transfer-fee/ |website=The Bay State Banner |access-date=29 July 2023 |date=19 December 2019}}

In 2019, Edwards partnered with attorney general Maura Healey, congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, and fellow city councilor Michelle Wu in a digital campaign urging the state government to adopt the Roe Act. This was a proposed state statue intended to codify the protections of abortion care provided in the Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court decision (a decision which was still good law at the time).{{cite web |last1=Yannone |first1=Tessa |title=Healey, Pressley, and Others Urge Support for Abortion Rights Bill in Video Campaign |url=https://www.bostonmagazine.com/health/2019/10/28/maura-healey-ayanna-pressley-abortion-rights/ |website=Boston Magazine |access-date=9 October 2024 |date=28 October 2019}}

In 2021, Edwards led the effort to amend the City Charter provision relating to city budgets. An ordinance for the city to hold a binding referendum on amending the city charter during its November 2021 municipal elections was passed by the city council. The amendment's changes included giving the City Council the power to line-item veto some of the items in a budget put forth by the mayor, amend a mayor's proposed budget both in whole and in part, and the ability to override a mayoral veto of a budget by a two-thirds vote. These changes provide the City Council with more powering the creation of a budget. Another change in the amendment was creating an Office of Participatory Budgeting, giving the city's residents more power in the creation of city budgets.{{cite web |last1=Mullings |first1=Morgan C. |title=Janey signs off on changes to city charter |url=https://www.baystatebanner.com/2021/06/10/janey-signs-off-on-changes-to-city-charter/ |website=The Bay State Banner |access-date=15 November 2022 |date=10 June 2021}} In June 2021, Acting Mayor Kim Janey signed the ordinance. Weeks later, State Attorney General Maura Healey cleared the referendum for inclusion on the ballot.{{cite web |title=AG greenlights city budget ballot question |url=https://www.baystatebanner.com/2021/07/08/ag-greenlights-city-budget-ballot-question/ |website=The Bay State Banner |date=8 July 2021}} The referendum saw the amendment approved by voters, thereby amending the city charter.{{cite web |last1=Kuznitz |first1=Alison |title=Boston Election 2021: Voters support Question 1 on new City Council budget process |url=https://www.masslive.com/politics/2021/11/boston-election-2021-voters-support-question-1-on-new-city-council-budget-process.html |website=masslive |access-date=15 November 2022 |language=en |date=3 November 2021}}

Edwards joined council members Michelle Wu and Matt O'Malley in a years-long push to have the city divest its financial resources from fossil fuels.{{cite web |last1=Gavin |first1=Christopher |title=Mayor Wu signs landmark law standing against fossil fuel companies |url=https://www.boston.com/news/politics/2021/11/22/mayor-wu-just-signed-a-landmark-law-standing-against-fossil-fuel-companies-heres-what-to-know/ |website=Boston.com |access-date=28 November 2022 |date=November 22, 2021}} In November 2021, as mayor, Michelle Wu signed such an ordinance into law.{{cite news |last=Murphy|first=Matt |title=Mayor Wu Signs Ordinance Divesting Boston From Fossil Fuel Profits|url=https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/mayor-wu-signs-ordinance-divesting-boston-from-fossil-fuels/2572931/ |access-date=November 23, 2021 |agency=NBC Boston |date=November 22, 2021}}

File:Lydia Edwards (3x4a).jpg

File:Piers Park III (FVfE8haUUAsFaye) (1).jpg (far left), U.S. Senator Ed Markey (third from right), U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (second from right), and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (far right)]]

File:Healey-driscoll-administration-launches-campaign-to-end-veteran-homelessness-in-massachusetts 53587626975 o.jpg, Boston Mayor Wu, and Congressman Stephen Lynch]]

In 2016, Edwards was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate in the special election for the First Suffolk & Middlesex District of the Massachusetts State Senate. However, she ran for the State Senate again in 2022, and this time she was successful.{{cite web|last1=Shuman|first1=Cary|date=22 September 2021|title=Edwards Announces Her Candidacy for State Senate {{!}} Revere Journal|url=http://reverejournal.com/2021/09/22/edwards-announces-her-candidacy-for-state-senate/|access-date=28 September 2021|website=The Revere Journal}} She won the Democratic primary on December 15, 2021, defeating Revere School Committee member Anthony D'Ambrosio by a 60%–40% margin.{{cite web|last1=McCarthy|first1=Mia|date=December 15, 2021|title=Lydia Edwards claims victory in state Senate special election over Anthony D'Ambrosio|url=https://www.boston.com/news/politics/2021/12/15/lydia-edwards-wins-primary-senate-special-election/|publisher=Boston.com|accessdate=15 December 2021}} Edwards is the first woman and person of color to represent the senate district.{{cite web |last1=Shenoy |first1=Rupa |title=City Councilor Edwards wins Senate seat as 1st woman and 1st person of color to represent district |url=https://www.wbur.org/news/2022/01/14/lydia-edwards-massachusetts-senate-special-election |website=WBUR |access-date=29 July 2023 |language=en |date=January 14, 2022}}

{{main|2022 Massachusetts Senate election}}

{{Election box begin no change

| title = 3rd Suffolk District Primary Election Results

}}

|-

!colspan="5"|Democratic Party Primary Results

|-

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| party = Massachusetts Democratic Party

| candidate = Lydia Marie Edwards (incumbent)

| votes = 11497

| percentage = 98.9%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = write-in

| candidate =

| votes = 131

| percentage = 1.1%

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = {{sum|11497|131}}

| percentage = 100%

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change

| title = 3rd Suffolk District General Election Results

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| party = Massachusetts Democratic Party

| candidate = Lydia Marie Edwards (incumbent)

| votes = 32396

| percentage = 97.0%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = write-in

| candidate =

| votes = 1006

| percentage = 3.0%

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = {{sum|32396|1006}}

| percentage = 100%

}}

{{Election box hold with party link no change

| winner = Massachusetts Democratic Party

| loser = Massachusetts Republican Party

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |title=Primary Special Election for 1st Suffolk and Middlesex District}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Massachusetts Democratic Party

|candidate = Lydia Edwards

|votes = 8,147

|percentage = 60.1%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Massachusetts Democratic Party

|candidate = Anthony D'Ambrosio

|votes = 5,386

|percentage = 39.7%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = write-in

|candidate =

|votes = 34

|percentage = 0.3%

|change =

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |title=Special Election for 1st Suffolk and Middlesex District}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Massachusetts Democratic Party

|candidate = Lydia Edwards

|votes = 1,764

|percentage = 94.9%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = write-in

|candidate =

|votes = 95

|percentage = 5.1%

|change =

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{main|2019 Boston City Council election}}

{{Election box begin |title=General election for Boston City Council District 1, 2019}}

{{Election box winning candidate

|party = Nonpartisan

|candidate = Lydia Edwards

|votes = 4,400

|percentage = 96.6%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate

|party = —

|candidate = write in

|votes = 155

|percentage = 3.4%

|change =

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{main|2017 Boston City Council election}}

{| class=wikitable

!colspan=1 rowspan=2 |Candidates

!colspan=2 |Preliminary Election

!colspan=2 |General Election

|-

!Votes

!%

!Votes

!%

|-

| Lydia Edwards

| align="right" | 3,547

| align="right" | 45.95%

| align="right" | 6,906

| align="right" | 52.70%

|-

| Stephen Passacantilli

| align="right" | 3,628

| align="right" | 47.00%

| align="right" | 6,182

| align="right" | 47.17%

|-

| Margaret Farmer

| align="right" | 522

| align="right" | 6.76%

| colspan=2 bgcolor=darkgray |

|-

| Write-in

| align="right" | 22

| align="right" | 0.29%

| align="right" | 17

| align="right" | 0.13%

|-

| Total

| align="right" | 7,719

| align="right" | 100

| align="right" | 13,105

| align="right" | 100

{{Election box end}}

{{reflist}}

{{Massachusetts State Senators}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, Lydia}}

Category:1981 births

Category:Boston City Council members

Category:Massachusetts lawyers

Category:Washington College of Law alumni

Category:Boston University School of Law alumni

Category:Living people

Category:Fordham University alumni

Category:Women city councillors in Massachusetts

Category:21st-century Massachusetts politicians

Category:21st-century American women politicians