Becca Rausch ()

Senator Becca Rausch is a Democrat representing the Norfolk, Worcester, and Middlesex District in the Massachusetts State Senate. Elected in a landmark 2018 victory, she is the third woman, second Democrat, and first Jewish person to hold the seat, as well as the first woman and first Jewish representative for several communities in her district. She was sworn in on January 2, 2019, and has been re-elected in 2020 and 2022, currently serving her term as the only mother of young children in the Senate. A granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor and published author on reproductive health, justice, and body size and the law, she is a lifelong advocate for social justice, equity, civil rights, environmental protection, public education, and good government. Prior to the Senate, she served as an elected member of the Needham Town Meeting, a union steward, law professor, and attorney in private and public sectors, including the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services where she received a Citation for Outstanding Performance. She resides in Needham with her husband, two young children, and their Goldendoodle.

Notable achievements and positions: Senate Chairperson of the Joint Committee on the Environment and Natural Resources ; Senate Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities; Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on the Census. She serves on the Joint Committees on Education, Agriculture, Revenue, and Emergency Preparedness and Management. Early in her tenure, she was appointed to the Senate's Temporary Committee on Rules—a rare honor for a first-term legislator. She holds board positions with the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators and National Association of Jewish Legislators.

Education and Political Experience

Education

• B.A. in American Studies and Women's Studies, Brandeis University.
• J.D., Northeastern University School of Law.
• LL.M., University of California, Berkeley School of Law.

Political Experience

• Massachusetts State Senator, Norfolk, Worcester, and Middlesex District .
• Needham Town Meeting Member .
• Graduate of Emerge Massachusetts program .
• Former leadership roles: Chair of Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government; Vice Chair of Joint Committee on Elder Affairs; member of various joint committees including Public Health, Public Safety and Homeland Security, Public Service, State Administration and Regulatory Oversight, Veterans and Federal Affairs, and Community Development and Small Business.