Second Suffolk District
About Senator Liz Miranda
About Senator Liz Miranda
Born and raised in the Dudley Street Triangle in Roxbury to Cabo Verdean parents, Senator Liz Miranda represents the Second Suffolk District, serving the neighborhoods of Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan, Hyde Park, Mission Hill, Jamaica Plain, the South End, Roslindale, and Fenway. Her work in the Legislature is grounded in the communities that raised her and the people she continues to serve.
Our Community
About the Second Suffolk District
The Second Suffolk District is a diverse community of nine Boston neighborhoods, each with its own history, culture, and character. From the Cabo Verdean and Caribbean communities of Dorchester and Mattapan to the historic Black neighborhoods of Roxbury, the arts and institutions of Mission Hill and Jamaica Plain, and the growing corridors of the South End, Roslindale, and the Fenway, the district reflects the full breadth of Boston's people.
Senator Miranda has represented the Second Suffolk District since 2021, working to make sure every neighborhood — and every resident — has a voice on Beacon Hill.
Education & Background
A proud graduate of Boston Public Schools and the John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science, Senator Miranda earned her bachelor's degree from Wellesley College. She is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Boston Alumnae Chapter, and served as the 143rd Commencement Speaker at Wellesley for the Class of 2021. Her commitment to public service began early, shaped by her family, her neighborhood, and a belief that government must work for those too often left out.
A Defining Moment
In 2017, Senator Miranda lost her brother, Michael, to gun violence. That loss became a turning point, deepening her lifelong advocacy for safer communities and leading her to run for public office. As a survivor of homicide, she brings lived experience to her leadership and has been a consistent voice for violence prevention funding, credible messenger programs, and community-based approaches to public safety.
The Senate
Legislative Agenda
In the Legislature, Senator Miranda has advanced a bold agenda focused on closing the racial wealth gap and expanding opportunity. Her work spans health equity, environmental justice, housing, voting rights, and economic development. She authored landmark legislation establishing Environmental Justice population designations in Massachusetts and helped secure equity and workforce inclusion in the state's clean energy and offshore wind industries. She also led the passage of comprehensive maternal health legislation aimed at addressing the Black maternal health crisis by expanding access to doulas, strengthening community-based birth centers, and improving care for families before and after childbirth.
Through her leadership, more than $70 million in state funding has been directed to the Second Suffolk District, supporting affordable housing, maternal health, workforce development, food access, violence prevention, and local economic growth.
Second Suffolk District
Leadership
Committee Roles
Senator Miranda currently serves as Senate Chair of the Racial Equity, Civil Rights, and Inclusion Committee, Vice Chair of the Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities, and as a member of the Ways and Means Committee. She focuses on ensuring equity in state spending and making sure resources reach the communities that need them most.
- Senate Chair: Racial Equity, Civil Rights, and Inclusion Committee
- Vice Chair: Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities
- Member: Ways and Means Committee
Recognition
Her work has been widely recognized. She is a member of the National Caucus of Black State Legislators and holds leadership roles with the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women. She has been named Progressive Legislator of the Year by Progressive Massachusetts, Emerge Woman of the Year, one of Boston Magazine's Best Leaders, and one of Boston's Most Impactful Black Women. In 2025, she was named among The Boston Globe's Bostonians of the Year for her role in expanding neighborhood-based economic opportunity across the city.
- ★Progressive Legislator of the Year — Progressive Massachusetts
- ★Emerge Woman of the Year
- ★Boston Magazine's Best Leaders
- ★Boston's Most Impactful Black Women
- ★Boston Globe Bostonian of the Year (2025)
- ★National Caucus of Black State Legislators
- ★National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women
Community
Rooted in Service
Her approach to leadership is deeply rooted in constituent services. Her office has assisted thousands of residents with housing, unemployment benefits, food access, healthcare, and other essential needs, maintaining a strong and consistent presence in the district. This constituent work is rooted in the policies she champions on Beacon Hill.
Before entering public office, Senator Miranda was a nonprofit executive, entrepreneur, and community organizer. She began her career as a youth organizer in the Dudley Triangle, working to rebuild her neighborhood and protect community land, and later served as Executive Director of the Hawthorne Youth and Community Center and Director of Youth Opportunity Development at the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative.
Team Second Suffolk
Our Staff
Kevin Higgins
Chief of Staff
Rashelle Centeio
District Director
Justin Gardner
Director of Constituent Services
Brian Donahue
Legislative Aide
Melissa French
Scheduler
Contact Our Office
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