”I’ve wanted to run for office since I was a little kid growing up in Lowell and seeing a lot of needs around me, and also learning in school about how government can and should play a role in helping support residents and support people."
Gouveia on running for Lieutenant Governor
State Rep. Tami Gouveia of Acton said one of the most frequently asked questions she receives is, “Why did you leave a career in public health to become a politician?” She argues that she never left.
“I really see the Legislature as just the place where I do my public health work,” she said. “Every policy for the most part that we pass at the State House impacts our health and well-being, whether you’re talking about access to a good paying job that gives you a reason to get up in the morning, or you’re talking again about reliable transportation or the climate crisis.”
Gouveia touts a long career in public health, including an almost 10-year stint at the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center and at Boston University, where she received her master’s in social work and doctorate of public health, focusing on opioid policy. Despite this, she always knew she wanted to work in politics, and won her seat in the State House in 2018.
“I’ve wanted to run for office since I was a little kid growing up in Lowell and seeing a lot of needs around me, and also learning in school about how government can and should play a role in helping support residents and support people,” she said. She also served as president of the Student Government Association at Mount Holyoke College as an undergraduate.
