Tram Nguyen

Tram Thi Ngoc Nguyen (; born June 22, 1986) is an American politician serving as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 18th Essex District. She represents the towns of Andover, Boxford, North Andover, and Tewksbury. She currently resides in Andover with her husband Nathanael Powers and two dogs.

Nguyen is currently serving as the Chair of the House Committee on Climate Action and Sustainability (the first Asian American woman chair in the MA House of Representatives) and member of the Joint Committee on Financial Services. She has previously served as Vice Chair of the House Committee on Steering, Policy, and Scheduling and the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development.

Prior to being elected as the first Vietnamese American woman in the Massachusetts Legislature, Nguyen was an attorney at Greater Boston Legal Services providing support for survivors of domestic violence, immigrants, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, low-wage workers, and others from vulnerable communities. Nguyen is the highest ranking Asian American woman in the Massachusetts legislature. She came in second in the September 1, 2026 primary.

Early life and education Nguyen was born in Vietnam and immigrated to the United States with her family as political refugees when she was 5 years old. She was raised in the Merrimack Valley — first living in public housing in Lawrence and then moving to Methuen. Nguyen graduated from Methuen High School and enrolled at Tufts University as a first-generation college student. She is the first person in her family to graduate from college and graduate school.

Before deciding to study law, Nguyen believed she wanted to study medicine and become a pediatrician. Her love for children led her to become involved with the Jumpstart program providing education to help underprivileged children develop literacy skills at a young age. Through her involvement with Jumpstart, Nguyen realized she wanted to continue helping families like these — and that she could make a greater impact through policy rather than medicine. Nguyen received a degree in Sociology and American Studies from Tufts University and then her Juris Doctor from Northeastern University.

Career

Legal career Nguyen began her legal career as a fellow through Equal Justice Works and worked at Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS), where she focused on providing legal representation to survivors of domestic violence in family and immigration law. Nguyen later became a staff attorney at GBLS and then the coordinator for the Civil Legal Aid for Victims of Crime Project, where she represented and advocated for seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, and others from vulnerable communities who were victims of crimes. She also led the Nail Salon Initiative to help low-wage workers fight wage theft.

State representative Tram Nguyen ran for State Representative of the 18th Essex District (parts of Andover, Boxford, North Andover, and Tewksbury) in Massachusetts. Nguyen ran against the incumbent Republican Rep. James J. Lyons Jr., who had been in office for 8 years prior to Nguyen's victory and was opposed to women's reproductive health and LGBTQ rights. Nguyen won with a 54% majority victory, a win that she credits to an "aggressive campaign focused on making constituents' voices heard". Her win gained back a historically Democratic seat that had been turned Republican when Lyons was elected to office. Additionally, Nguyen is the first Vietnamese American woman to be elected to office in Massachusetts.

During her campaign, Nguyen ran on a number of issues including better funding for public education, preserving the environment, prioritizing equality and inclusion, gun violence prevention, making health care more affordable and accessible, addressing the opioid epidemic as a public health crisis, supporting seniors and veterans, investing in transportation, fighting for women's health, and improving the lives of working families.

Awards and distinctions Throughout her legal career, Nguyen has been recognized for her leadership, vision, and commitment to justice. Her honors include the Lawrence Bar Association Merit Award, Vietnamese American Bar Association Public Service Award, Reginald Heber Smith Award for Legal Advocacy, and the UAW Social Justice Award.