Tram Nguyen

Tram Nguyen earned a high school diploma from Methuen High School and a B.A. in sociology and American studies from Tufts University, an M.P.A. from Harvard Kennedy School, and a J.D. from Northeastern University. Before entering politics, Nguyen was a staff attorney with Greater Boston Legal Services.[1][2]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

When she was just five years old, Tram and her family fled Vietnam’s authoritarian regime and came to America as political refugees with only $100 and a dream. Now, she’s running for Congress to fight for that dream and keep it alive for all of us.

The first in her family to graduate from college, Tram earned degrees from Tufts University, Northeastern School of Law, and the Harvard Kennedy School. As an attorney at Greater Boston Legal Services, she led the Civil Legal Assistance for Victims of Crime program. There she dedicated herself to fighting for those too often left behind, including survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, veterans, immigrants, low wage workers, and people with disabilities. In this role, Tram oversaw efforts to help victims of violence, wage theft, and exploitation rebuild their lives and find justice.

In 2018, she took on entrenched State House Republican incumbent Jim Lyons. In a race some thought to be unwinnable, she defeated him by ten points. Since then, Tram has served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, working to support public schools, combat climate change, and strengthen workers’ rights.

Now Tram is running for Congress to tackle the high cost of living, expand affordable housing, protect fundamental freedoms, and restore trust in our democracy.

Tram knows that we don’t have to choose between making life better for people, and standing up to Trump. We can, and we must, do both.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

When families succeed, our economy grows stronger. Tram will stand up to corporate greed that drives up costs while working with local employers and innovative businesses to build an economy that’s fair, affordable, and full of opportunity.

In Congress, Tram will fight for economic justice by working to:

Increase the federal minimum wage,

Defend and expand workers’ rights by passing the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act to ban union-busting, protect striking workers, and eliminate right-to-work laws, and

Ensure the ultra-wealthy and corporations pay their fair share in taxesEvery Massachusetts family deserves the dignity of a safe, stable, and affordable home. We need an all-hands-on-deck response to the most urgent affordability crisis of our time—investing in new housing, supporting first-time homebuyers, and keeping people in their homes.

In Congress, Tram will work to:

Significantly expand funding for deeply affordable housing and rental assistance,

Increase the affordable housing supply,

Support first-time home buyers with low interest loans and developing more starter homes,

Expand workforce housing,

Encourage transit-oriented development,

Incentivize zoning reform that promotes equity and affordability, and

Invest in energy efficient, climate resilient housing that lowers costs for families.Tram knows what it’s like to live under authoritarian rule, and will never let it take root here. She stood up to MAGA extremism when she first ran and won in 2018, and will keep leading the fight to protect our fundamental freedoms, our right to vote, and the future of our democracy.

In Congress, Tram will work to:

Keep free and fair elections,

Investigate Trump and his lackeys for corruption,

Ban individual stock trading and insider trading for members of Congress,

Limit money in politics by overturning Citizens United,

Fight against voter ID laws,

Making sure corporations pay their fair share in taxes and close tax loopholes, and

Restore faith in the rule of law and the belief that government can be a force for good.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Proactive public policy is the difference between a family drowning or having a stable foundation to succeed. I am personally passionate about food security, affordable housing, workers rights and fair wages, universal healthcare via Medicare for All, comprehensive reproductive rights, climate action, and safe, dignity-first immigration policy, to name a few. Policy is personal to me, and politics is a means of improving the lives of people like my own family, my own neighbors, and those I will never meet. Because when we invest in people, when we help meet needs, we can give people the opportunity to not just survive, but to thrive.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Eunice Ziegler, Massachusetts Governor's Councillor

Pam Gilday, City Council District 1, Amesbury

Sarah Hall, City Councilor At-Large, Newburyport

Ty Hapworth, City Councilor at-Large, Salem

Katelyn Holappa, City Councilor, Ward 6, Salem

Hong Net, City Councilor At-Large, Lynn

Andy Varela, City Councilor, Ward 7, Salem

UFCW 1445, 329, 791, and 1459

IBEW 2321, IBEW 2325, IBEW 1505

Carmens 589

UAW International

SEIU State Council

PIVOT

North Shore Indivisible

People for the American Way

Center for Freethought Equality

New American Leaders Action Fund

Progressive Massachusetts

State Representatives Manny Cruz, Dawne Shand, Richard Haggerty, and Ken Gordon, and over 50 more local and state elected leaders.

Campaign websiteNguyen's campaign website stated the following:Affordable HousingHousing is a human right, not a commodity. Every Massachusetts family deserves the dignity of a safe, stable, and affordable home. We need an all-hands-on-deck response to the most urgent affordability crisis of our time—investing in new housing, supporting first-time homebuyers, and keeping people in their homes.Massachusetts is 40 years behind on housing development and the goal is to build more 220,000 units by 2035. Our Commonwealth is growing, but we don’t have the housing supply to meet the need. In Congress, Tram will work to:Significantly expand funding for deeply affordable housing and rental assistance,Increase the affordable housing supply,Enforce fair housing laws,Support first-time home buyers with low interest loans and developing more starter homes intended for first-time buyers and not as vacation homesExpand workforce housing, making sure those who work here can actually live hereEncourage transit-oriented development to increase mobility and cut down on trafficIncentivize zoning reform that promotes equity and affordability, andInvest in energy efficient, climate resilient housing that lowers costs for families.Economic JusticeWhen families succeed, our economy grows stronger. Tram will stand up to corporate greed that drives up costs while working with local employers and innovative businesses to build an economy that’s fair, affordable, and full of opportunity.In Congress, Tram will fight for economic justice by working to:Increase the federal minimum wage to $20 an hour,Defend and expand workers’ rights by passing the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act to ban union-busting, protect striking workers, and eliminate right-to-work laws, andEnsure the ultra-wealthy and corporations pay their fair share in taxesEducation EqualityTram is a proud product of the public school system here in Massachusetts. She learned English in our public schools, and got to where she is today because of the investment that was made in her education. Every child deserves access to a fair, equitable and high-quality K-12 education and beyond, so that they too can thrive. In Congress, Tram will work to:Invest in universal Pre-K and early education, centering universal access and affordability, so that every family, regardless of income, has access to high-quality care.Subsidize early education costs for low-income families and cap expenses for middle-income households, Push for livable, professional wages and workforce development for our educators by raising teacher and education professional pay, Increase federal investments in Title I which gives additional money to schools that serve lower income students,Bring home federal funding to expand community schools that wrap academics, healthcare, mental health services, food assistance and more into hubs of well-being and support for children, families and communities,Fight to limit burdensome federal student loan debt and protect Pell Grants,Pass legislation making all community colleges and public four-year universities tuition-free, andPartner vocational-technical schools directly with local trade unions to guarantee graduates immediate, debt-free pathways into high-paying, unionized careers.Healthcare for AllGetting in a car accident or getting sick shouldn’t bankrupt anyone. Tram knows there is an entire for-profit industry built around people’s bad luck or illness, which should never have been built in the first place. That’s why in Congress, Tram will work tirelessly to:Transition to Medicare for All, and pay for it taxing billionaires and corporations that have rigged the system,Return subsidies to low- and mid-income families, Lower prescription drug costs,Codify Paid Family Medical Leave at the federal level, so parents and children can afford to bond, and provide care to one another when they need or wish to do so, andAddress food insecurity by protecting funding for SNAP, passing federal legislation to guarantee free, nutritious breakfast and lunch for every child in public school, and expand USDA grants to connect local farms directly to community food pantries.Climate Action & ResiliencyClimate change is one of the most urgent fights of our lifetime. Tram is proud to be the House Chair of Climate Action and Sustainability in the State House, because protecting our environment is about protecting people and future generations.Massachusetts has led the way on climate resiliency, but we can’t do this without federal money behind us. In Congress, Tram will keep doing what she has done for years– bringing money home for us. Tram will work to: Secure increased funding for coastal resilience, grid modernization, and clean energy to help protect homes, small businesses, critical infrastructure, and the planet.Focus on forward-looking policies that reduce carbon emissions, strengthen resilience and grow our economy.Invest in green jobs that bring our unions and our workers along with our pivot toward renewable energy.Reimagine ImmigrationAs the only immigrant in this race, Tram knows what it is like to be an immigrant in the United States. But the fear facing our communities today is much different from the challenges she faced as a child, with the hurdles all immigrants face compounded by the looming threat of the rogue agency ICE.Immigration impacts every aspect of our communities. What we are seeing is not only an incredible humanitarian crisis, but a huge plunder on our economy, our schools, our capacity for growth and progress. Our immigrants make our towns and cities what they are, and Tram will work every day to reimagine our immigration process. In Congress, Tram will work to:Abolish ICE and immediately remove its agents from American towns and cities,Overhaul the immigration system by creating an accessible, transparent pathway to citizenship that incentivizes legal entry, keeps families together, and treats immigrants with basic human dignity.Protect and Expand DACA and TPS to provide immediate safety, work authorization, and stability for our Dreamers and the local Haitian, Latino, and other immigrant communities that keep our communities strong,Expand employer-based visas to match real labor market needs, so there are actually enough legal opportunities to come to the US for gainful employment and fill our demand,Increase funding for processing centers and enact statute-enforced timelines for asylum claims to ensure cases are resolved safely and expediently, ending the humanitarian crises caused by administrative backlogs, andEnsure that all individuals, including undocumented immigrants, can access the legal system, report crimes, and utilize public services without fear.Safe CommunitiesTram is fighting to build secure, thriving communities where every family has the stability they need to succeed. As a State Representative, Tram has been out front on numerous areas of safety and community care.She was proud to help shape and pass our state's landmark 2024 gun safety modernization package, which dramatically expanded our Red Flag law to allow medical and school professionals to intervene before a crisis turns deadly. She also was the author of the Commonwealth’s first piece of legislation to specifically protect undocumented immigrants, giving them a standardized pathway to seek visas when reporting abuse or trafficking. In Congress, Tram will be a voice for survivors, for safety, and for proactive reforms to gun laws in our country.Ban federal law enforcement officers from wearing masks or tactical military gear,Advocate for full, permanent federal funding for the Violence Against Women Act to expand transitional housing, mental health resources, and legal assistance for survivors, while expanding federal funding to provide for culturally competent counseling and legal aid so survivors can escape dangerous situations,Fight to pass federal common-sense gun reform legislation modeled on our success here in Massachusetts, including universal background checks, a federal ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and a real crackdown on the proliferation of untraceable firearms,Champion federal legislation to incentivize and implement robust Red Flag laws nationwide, ensuring the people closest to a person in crisis have the tools to keep our communities safe,Protect immigrant survivors of human trafficking and violent crime by working to lift the federal caps on U-visas (violent crime victims) and T-visas (human trafficking victims), ensuring victims can safely report abuse and cooperate with law enforcement without fear of deportation, andStrengthen federal civil rights protections and combat the rise of hate crimes by expanding funding for federal civil rights enforcement, improving tracking metrics, and supporting localized, community-led prevention and victim-support frameworks.Civil Rights & EqualityEvery person deserves to live free from discrimination and fear. As a lawyer, Tram has spent her career fighting for equality — standing up for the LGBTQ+ community as well as our immigrant neighbors, defending reproductive freedom, and advancing racial justice. Our rights and freedoms are under attack, and Tram will never stop fighting to protect them.In Congress, Tram will work to:Address the rogue actions of ICE and reimagine our pathway to citizenship, both for those seeking to enter the United States and for those already here.Codify rights for our LGBTQ+ friends and neighbors, including protecting access to gender-affirming care,Pass legislation to protect access to reproductive freedom & abortion care,Defend international human rights, including recognizing Taiwan and Tibet's independence and reigning in China's overreach and oppression, andProtect everyone's right to live with freedom and dignity.Our DemocracyTram knows what it’s like to live under authoritarian rule, and will never let it take root here. She stood up to MAGA extremism when she first ran and won in 2018, and will keep leading the fight to protect our fundamental freedoms, our right to vote, and the future of our democracy.In Congress, Tram will work to:Keep free and fair elections,Investigate Trump and his lackeys for corruption,Ban individual stock trading and insider trading for members of Congress,Limit money in politics by overturning Citizens United,Fight against voter ID laws,Making sure corporations pay their fair share in taxes and close tax loopholes, andRestore faith in the rule of law and the belief that government can be a force for good.— Tram Nguyen's campaign website (July 7, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

Tram Nguyen did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

Tram Nguyen did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Tram Nguyen did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

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What would be your top three priorities, if elected?

I have been privileged to grow up in the Merrimack Valley, and I am keenly aware of the needs of our community, which is why, if I am elected, I will strongly advocate for:

(1) Increased local aid, especially to provide funding for our public schools, infrastructure, and services that help our seniors, veterans, and working families;

(2) Improvements to public safety, especially helping our schools have resources to address gun violence and bullying; and

(3) Better health care coverage, including women's services, mental health services, and prevention and long-term treatment programs for opioid addiction.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

There are many important public policy issues on which I plan to work, including helping working families succeed, protecting women's rights, and addressing the opioid epidemic. First, I will work tirelessly in the State House to empower working families. I grew up in a hardworking middle-class family and know first-hand the challenges they face. Working families deserve programs that train them to get good-paying jobs, fair compensation for hard work, job security, and protection from wage theft and exploitation. Hard work and determination should be enough for people to lift themselves into the middle class and beyond. I believe we should invest in quality childcare and early education, which will open up more opportunities for parents to provide for their families and advance their children's future.

I am also passionate about women's rights. As an attorney who has advocated for survivors of domestic violence and victims of sexual abuse in the courthouse, I would work intensely as a legislator to defend reproductive rights, guarantee equal pay for equal work, and continue to protect survivors of domestic violence. I hope to have the opportunity to bring about a brighter, safer, and more equal Massachusetts for all women.

Lastly, our community's struggle with opioid addiction, which has ballooned into a public health crisis, is extremely important to me. My efforts to address it would focus on prevention and long-term treatment. I support programs that educate youth about addiction and identify and support students at risk, as well as programs that educate doctors about safer prescription management. In addition, we must support long-term treatment to address the underlying physical and emotional pain that led to their addiction in the first place so that they can overcome their drug dependency. Prevention and long-term treatment are how we rescue our community from this deadly affliction.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I will be a strong advocate for our community, because I am passionate and selfless. I will be a fighter who goes to the mat to advocate for more funding for our local schools and senior programs, to ensure we take care of our veterans, and to work with officials at all levels to address the opioid crisis.

Furthermore, I have dedicated my legal career to public service and welcome the opportunity to continue to serve the community as your representative in the State House. For me, this role is about a commitment to something greater than myself; it is about advocating for what is in the best interest of the community. I will be a selfless and tireless advocate for my constituents.

Lastly, I hold myself to the highest level of honesty and integrity. Ethical and moral leadership is an extremely important quality for public officials, who are entrusted with a responsibility to serve their community. I will represent the people of Merrimack Valley, defend our values, and make sure that everyone in Massachusetts sees our leadership in the State House as strong, powerful, and something that you can be proud of.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

As State Representative I would be accountable to the residents of my community. Accountability means listening and responding to issues that are important to the people I represent. I also pledge to be a tireless advocate who would advocate for and support legislation that benefits our community. To accomplish this I will negotiate and build coalitions with other legislators and vote for legislation that is in the best interest of our community and all who live here.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I would be an outstanding and effective State Representative precisely because I am open to working with other legislators to build coalitions, reach across the aisle to further mutual interests, and secure votes in the State House and Senate for important bills that will benefit our district.