About Senator Lovely

Senator Joan Lovely is in her sixth term as State Senator for the Second Essex District, comprised of Beverly, Danvers, Peabody, and Salem. Senator Lovely has been serving in the Massachusetts Senate since January 2013.

After raising a family in Salem with her husband Stephen, Senator Lovely went back to school to earn degrees from Salem State University and the Massachusetts School of Law. She began her activism at the local level when she collaborated with neighbors and volunteers to rebuild a local playground for children and families in Salem.

In 1997, Senator Lovely successfully ran for a seat on the Salem City Council and served for 15 years, six as the Ward 3 Councillor, and 9 as a Councillor-at-Large. During that time, she served twice as City Council President, Acting Mayor, and was the Council Liaison to the Council on Aging and Commission on Disabilities.

Senator Lovely serves in Leadership as Assistant Majority Leader and as Chair of the Senate and Joint Committees on Rules. She also proudly serves as Senate Vice-Chair of the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight, and as a member of the Senate Committees on Ethics, Global Warming and Climate Change, and Juvenile and Emerging Adult Justice, in addition to the Joint Committee on Agriculture.

Outside of her committee work, Senator Lovely is the Senate Chair of the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators. She is also a member of the Massachusetts Legislative Food Systems Caucus, Coastal Caucus, Boating Caucus, Zero Waste Caucus, Gateway Cities Caucus, Protecting Animal Welfare (PAW) Caucus and Climate Alliance Caucus. She has served as Senate Chair of the Ellen Story Commission on Postpartum Depression where she now serves as a member, Chair of the Special Senate Committee to Review the Sexual Harassment Policies and Procedures, and as a member of the Legislative Commission on Ocean Acidification, Special Senate Committee on Opioid Addiction Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Options, and Special Legislative Commission on Public Records.

Senator Lovely and her husband are the proud parents of three adult children and grandparents to a beautiful granddaughter. She also enjoys gardening and boating, her 3 Labrador Retrievers, 1 black cat, a pet chicken, and 5 ducks.