Senator Joan Lovely has served as the State Senator for the Second Essex District, comprised of Beverly, Danvers, Peabody, Salem and Topsfield, since January 2013. She holds degrees from Salem State University and the Massachusetts School of Law. In 1997, Senator Lovely successfully ran for a seat on the Salem City Council and served for 15 years, six as the Ward 3 Councillor, and 9 as a Councillor-at-Large. In the Senate, she currently serves as the Assistant Majority Leader, and as Chair of both the Senate Committee on Rules and Joint Committee on Rules, as well as the Vice-Chair of the Senate Committee on Bills in the Third Reading. She also serves as the Senate Chair of the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators. In July of 2017, Governor Baker signed into law the Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which was spearheaded by Senator Lovely and former Representative Ellen Story.