Senator Joan B. Lovely Democrat - Second Essex

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

After raising a family in Salem with her husband, Senator Lovely went back to school to earn degrees from Salem State University and 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. During that time, she served as City Council President and acted as the Council’s liaison to the Board of Directors for the Council on Aging and to the city’s Commission on Disabilities.

In her first term, Senator Lovely served as the Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse as well as the Senate Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs. She also sat on the Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Business, the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure, the Joint Committee on Election Laws, the Joint Committee on Public Health, and the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development.

Currently in her second term, Senator Lovely serves as the Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight, which reviews all matters concerning competitive bidding on public contracts, public construction, open meeting laws, state regulations, state agencies, and lobbyists’ reporting laws. Senator Lovely also serves as the Senate Vice Chair of three committees: the Joint Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse, the Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities, and the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government. She has also retained her positions on the Joint Committee on Public Health and the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development. In addition, Senator Lovely was recently appointed to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, which considers all matters relating to the finances of the Commonwealth, including the state budget.

Outside of her committee work, Senator Lovely is the Senate Chair of the Legislative Commission on Postpartum Depression and is a member of the Special Senate Committee on Opioid Addiction Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Options.

Senator Lovely is a proud parent of three children and currently resides in Salem with her husband Stephen. She also enjoys her two dogs, one cat, and three chickens.