Meet Tami Gouveia

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Tami is an organizer, mother, and public health champion who believes in the power of people coming together—through government and through community action—to benefit our collective wellbeing.

A resident of Acton, a Doctor of Public Health, and a State Representative for the 14th Middlesex District, Tami is not afraid to stand up to those in power and to protect the health and rights of working people.

Tami is running for Lieutenant Governor to help lead an equitable, just recovery from COVID-19, combat the intersecting environmental, economic, and social crises facing our Commonwealth, and engage directly with municipalities around the state to amplify and support the work of local governments and community activists.

The Power of Government

Social Work, Public Health, Activism

Leading with Progressive Values

The Power of Government

Tami grew up on Ludlam Street in Lowell. Her family has deep roots in the city: her mom and great-grandmother worked in the mills along the Merrimack River, and her grandfather belonged to the carpenter’s union, which gave her family the benefits and opportunities they needed to enter the middle class. It was worker protections that also helped her father get back on his feet when he was laid off, allowing him to open a small clean-up business.
As Tami grew up, she saw how the collective support that comes from government, neighbors, and community activism can make a difference in peoples’ lives and create conditions that support everyone. It was these early experiences—combined with the models of female leadership she met as a student at Mount Holyoke College—that would later motivate her to run for public office.
In 2008, Tami was laid off in the Great Recession. As a single mother, she had to scrape together resources and opportunities to make ends meet for her and her children. It was through these experiences that Tami learned firsthand how difficult navigating job insecurity can be, especially for women, and it has given her a deep sense of urgency around providing necessary and accessible government support to those in need.
PRIORITY

Protecting Workers

No one should live in poverty. Tami will fight to expand the social safety net and close the extreme income inequality gap in our state.

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Social Work, Public Health, Activism

In the middle of the pandemic, Tami earned a Doctorate of Public Health from the Boston University School of Public Health. During her 25-year career as a social worker, she worked at the Greater Lawrence Community Health Center, led advocacy efforts to protect children from exposure to environmental toxins, founded and chaired the Lowell Roundtable on Substance Abuse Prevention and served as director of Tobacco Free Mass. As an activist, Tami has volunteered on statewide ballot initiatives, including efforts to increase the minimum wage, ensure earned sick time and paid leave for all Massachusetts workers, and get corporate money out of politics.
In 2016, outraged by the election of Donald Trump, Tami stepped up to found and co-lead the Massachusetts Chapter of the Women’s March, organizing over 10,000 people from the state to attend the 2017 March in DC. That moment of resistance and solidarity in the face of reactionary power solidified her decision to run for office, and in 2018 she was elected State Representative for the 14th Middlesex District, serving Acton, Chelmsford, Concord, and Carlisle.
PRIORITY

Healthcare for All

Tami will be a fierce advocate for healthcare for all, prioritizing controlling costs and eliminating the barriers to the care that so many people face.

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On Beacon Hill

Tami has been a strong progressive voice in the legislature. She has:
Filed legislation to combat the opioid crisis and save lives by increasing access to Narcan, making addiction treatment more accessible, and securing over $300,000 for fentanyl testing programs.
Defended reproductive justice and women’s rights by advocating to protect abortion access and comprehensive public sex education, and by securing funding for Budget Buddies, an organization that serves low-income women throughout the Merrimack Valley, MetroWest, and Greater Boston.
Advocated for criminal justice reform by supporting efforts to ban the use of tear gas, limit no-knock warrants and qualified immunity, and lower the threshold of evidence for decertifying abusive police officers.
Filed legislation to prevent and treat childhood trauma, including trauma caused by poverty, racism, xenophobia, and cultural dehumanization.
Led the fight for greater transparency in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, including making her committee votes public, increasing the amount of time allotted to review bills, and standing for roll call votes on bills and amendments to increase the number and type of recorded votes.
Stood up for the LGBTQ+ community in her very first floor speech, which led to the passage of a statewide ban on conversion therapy.

Progressive Leadership

We need statewide leadership that will bring everyone along and center those most harmed by the intersecting environmental, economic, and public health crises facing our Commonwealth.

Healthcare for All

Climate Justice

Liveable Communities

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