About
Sonia Chang-Diaz, a former public school teacher and community activist, has the dedication to our progressive values, the commitment to accountability in our state government, and the political and policy experience we need to bring change to the Second Suffolk District.
A Long Tradition of Service
Sonia was raised on the idea that leadership, at its heart, is about service. It is a value deeply rooted in her family’s long tradition of public service. A single parent, her mother raised Sonia and her sister while dedicating her career to those most forgotten in our society: from adults with mental illness, to foster children in need of loving families, to at-risk toddlers and infants in Dorchester. Her father, an immigrant to the United States from Costa Rica, was our country’s first Latin American astronaut and is a dedicated leader in the Latin-American community. Her sister is a teacher. And her grandfather has been recognized as one of the country’s most committed rural doctors.
Broad Experience in Massachusetts Politics & Public Policy
It’s in her family tradition that Sonia has dedicated her career to making a difference in her community through public service:
- As an urban public school teacher in the Lynn and Boston school systems, Sonia learned first-hand the challenges facing our public school students, teachers, and parents and the role our state government can play in improving our educational system.
- As Senior Legislative Aide to former Sen. Cheryl Jacques, Sonia gained invaluable inside-the-State House experience and public policy expertise.
- As a key political adviser at the Barbara Lee Family Office, Sonia worked nationally to increase women’s leadership in the American political system.
- And most recently, as the Director of Outreach at the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, a non-partisan fiscal policy think tank, Sonia has worked to build coalitions and educate and empower Massachusetts residents around key budget questions, from closing corporate loopholes to making our state’s budget process more transparent.
A Deep Commitment to the Community
Sonia is also an active member of her community and her church:
- As a board member of MassVOTE, a statewide voting rights and election reform organization, Sonia has been a strong voice for making our electoral system more accessible for young people, new Americans, communities of color, and low-income residents.
- As a member of the Parish Council of St. Mary of the Angels church in Roxbury, Sonia has worked to hold the line against youth violence in Egleston Square, bringing parishioners and non-parishioners together to identify new ideas for combating the problem, such as direct canvassing in at-risk neighborhoods and grassroots fundraising to expand youth services.
- And as a young Latina political activist, Sonia has been recognized by El Planeta newspaper as one of the 100 most influential people for Massachusetts’s Hispanic community.
