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Sonia Chang-Díaz
Member of the Massachusetts Senate from the 2nd Suffolk district
In office January 7, 2009 – January 4, 2023
Preceded by	Dianne Wilkerson
Succeeded by	Liz Miranda
Personal details
Born	(1978-03-31) March 31, 1978 (age 46) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Relatives	Franklin Chang-Díaz (father)
Education	University of Virginia (BA)
Website	Campaign website

Sonia Rosa Chang-Díaz (born March 31, 1978) is an American politician who served in the Massachusetts Senate from the 2nd Suffolk district as a member of the Democratic Party. She was the first Hispanic woman elected to the state senate. She ran for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Massachusetts in the 2022 election.

Chang-Díaz was educated at the University of Virginia. She entered politics while serving as a legislature aide for Massachusetts Senator Cheryl Jacques and as a campaign manager for MassEquality. She attempted to win election to the state senate in the 2006 election as a write-in candidate in the Democratic primary, but lost to incumbent Senator Dianne Wilkerson, who was also running as a write-in candidate. She ran again in the 2008 election and defeated Wilkerson in the primary and general elections.

Early life

Sonia Chang-Díaz was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on March 31, 1978, the daughter of Franklin Chang-Díaz, a physicist who would be selected as a NASA astronaut in 1980. She graduated from the University of Virginia. She worked as one of Senator Cheryl Jacques' legislative aides and was a campaign manager for MassEquality.

Massachusetts Senate

Elections

Massachusetts Senator Dianne Wilkerson failed to file her nomination petition with enough valid signatures to appear on the ballot in the Democratic primary during the 2006 election, but announced that she would run a write-in campaign for the Democratic nomination. Chang-Díaz announced on June 18, 2006, that she would run as a write-in candidate in the primary. Wilkerson defeated Chang-Díaz in the initial primary, but a judge ordered a recount due to write-in votes not being counted in eight precincts. Secretary of State William F. Galvin started an investigation into Boston's handling of elections due to the error. Chang-Díaz turned in enough signatures for a recount of all ten wards. The final recount determined that Wilkerson had won by 767 votes which was more than the initial 141 votes. Wilkerson won reelection in the general election.

Chang-Díaz ran against Wilkerson in the 2008 Democratic primary and defeated Wilkerson. A recount was conducted and maintained Chang-Díaz's victory. Wilkerson launched a write-in campaign in the general election, but withdrew after she was arrested on charges of public corruption and Chang-Díaz defeated Wilkerson and independent candidate William Theodore Leonard in the general election. She was the first Hispanic woman elected to the Massachusetts Senate.

She won reelection without opposition in the 2010, 2012, 2016, 2018, and 2020 elections. She defeated Republican nominee David James Wyatt in the 2014 election.

Tenure

During Chang-Díaz's tenure in the Massachusetts Senate she served as the chair of the Education committee, vice-chair of the Senate Redistricting committee, and assistant vice-chair of the Ways and Means committee. She was speculated as a possible candidate for the 2013 Boston mayoral election, but did not run and instead endorsed Marty Walsh. She endorsed Donald Berwick for the Democratic nomination in the 2014 gubernatorial election. She endorsed Senator Ed Markey in the Democratic primary during the 2020 United States Senate election. During the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries Chang-Díaz endorsed Senator Elizabeth Warren.

Chang-Díaz announced on June 23, 2021, that she would seek the Democratic nomination in the 2022 gubernatorial election, but ended her campaign on June 23, 2022, although she remained on the ballot.

Political positions

Chang-Díaz was critical of legislation passed by the Massachusetts Senate which targeted the ability of undocumented immigrants to obtain services from the state including Medicaid and public housing. She opposed casinos stating that they were "a fancy way of putting a tax on the poor." Chang-Díaz supported raising the income tax to increase education funding.

She sponsored legislation to include transgender people in Massachusetts's anti-discrimination laws in 2011. She supported legislation which allowed people to use gendered-public places that matched their gender identity and gave protections against discrimination for transgender people.

Electoral history

References

1. "Hispanic Heritage Month: Dr. Franklin Chang Diaz". Runnels County Register. October 19, 2020. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021.
2. "1996 NASA Press Kit". NASA. February 1, 1996. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021.
3. "State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz". The John William Ward Public Service Fellowship. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
4. "Chang-Díaz Exploring Run For Governor In 2022". WBUR-FM. March 29, 2021. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021.
5. ^ "Chang-Díaz seeks to unseat state senator". The Boston Globe. June 20, 2006. p. 15. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "To Wilkerson, latest fight just part of quest". The Boston Globe. August 20, 2006. p. 199. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "8 precincts uncounted in Boston Senate race". The Boston Globe. September 21, 2006. p. 1. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Galvin probing Boston election". The Boston Globe. September 23, 2006. p. 17. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "2d District recount to include all 10 wards". The Boston Globe. September 29, 2006. p. 19. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Recount confirms Wilkerson victory in Boston Senate race". The Boston Globe. September 30, 2006. p. 15. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "2006 State Senate General Election". Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021.
12. "Wilkerson feeling the heat again". The Boston Globe. August 24, 2008. p. 152. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
13. ^ "2008 State Senate Democratic Primary". Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021.
14. "Recount affirms Chang-Díaz's primary win". The Boston Globe. September 28, 2008. p. 24. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
15. "Wilkerson announces write-in campaign". The Boston Globe. September 24, 2008. p. 21. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
16. "Wilkerson terminates reelection campaign". The Boston Globe. November 1, 2008. p. 6. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
17. ^ "2008 State Senate General Election". Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021.
18. "Battenfeld: Far left Democrats hit Maura Healey for being too 'centrist,' denting her gubernatorial ambitions". Boston Herald. May 28, 2021. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021.
19. ^ "2010 State Senate General Election". Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021.
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21. ^ "2016 State Senate General Election". Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021.
22. ^ "2018 State Senate General Election". Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021.
23. ^ "2020 State Senate General Election". Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021.
24. ^ "2014 State Senate General Election". Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021.
25. "Senate budget committee head named". The Boston Globe. January 21, 2011. p. B6. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
26. "Chang-Diaz sees no conflict in dual redistricting roles". The Boston Globe. July 10, 2011. p. B5. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
27. "Chandler names Creem Senate majority leader". The Boston Globe. March 1, 2018. p. B3. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
28. "A possibly crowded field". The Boston Globe. March 29, 2013. p. A11. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
29. "Capuano to back 'progressive' Walsh". The Boston Globe. October 21, 2013. p. B2. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
30. "State Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz of Boston endorses Democrat Don Berwick in Massachusetts gubernatorial race". MassLive. January 16, 2014. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021.
31. "State Senator Sonia Chang-Díaz Endorses Ed Markey for U.S. Senate". Ed Markey. July 24, 2020. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021.
32. "Who's Winning the Endorsement Popularity Contest?". Boston. January 30, 2020. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021.
33. "Sonia Chang-Diaz says she's running for governor of Massachusetts". Boston Herald. June 23, 2021. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021.
34. "Sonia Chang-Diaz ends campaign for Massachusetts governor, leaving Maura Healey as lone Democrat". CBS News. June 23, 2022. Archived from the original on June 23, 2022.
35. "Immigration measure OK'd". North Adams Transcript. May 28, 2010. p. 5. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
36. "Hearing on casino bills a long, heated affair". The Boston Globe. June 9, 2010. p. B5. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
37. "Teach-in focuses on economic divide". The Boston Globe. November 14, 2011. p. B9. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
38. "Lawmakers urged to pass transgender discrimination bill". The Boston Globe. June 24, 2011. p. B13. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
39. "Backers hail new gender rights". The Boston Globe. July 12, 2016. p. B4. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
40. "2006 State Senate Democratic Primary". Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021.
41. "2010 State Senate Democratic Primary". Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021.
42. "2012 State Senate Democratic Primary". Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021.
43. "2014 State Senate Democratic Primary". Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021.
44. "2016 State Senate Democratic Primary". Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021.
45. "2018 State Senate Democratic Primary". Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021.
46. "2020 State Senate Democratic Primary". Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021.

External links

• Legislative website
• State House website
• Campaign website

• 1978 births
• 21st-century American women politicians
• American politicians of Costa Rican descent
• American women of Chinese descent in politics
• American politicians of Chinese descent
• Asian-American state legislators in Massachusetts
• Hispanic and Latino American state legislators in Massachusetts
• Hispanic and Latino American women in politics
• Living people
• Democratic Party Massachusetts state senators
• People from Jamaica Plain
• University of Virginia alumni
• Women state legislators in Massachusetts
• 21st-century members of the Massachusetts General Court