About Cindy

Cindy F. Friedman was elected to the Massachusetts Senate on July 25, 2017, to represent the Fourth Middlesex District, which includes Arlington, Billerica, Burlington, Woburn, and precincts 1-2 and 4-7 of Lexington. Prior to becoming a state Senator, Cindy worked as a public school teacher, an executive in the high-tech industry, and later served for nearly a decade as chief of staff to the late Senator Ken Donnelly.

Always a straight-shooter and a zealous advocate for the people of the Commonwealth, since her election Cindy has distinguished herself as a thoughtful and policy-oriented member of the Senate.

Most notably, Cindy played an instrumental role in crafting and passing legislation to:

Cindy has also distinguished herself as a champion for her district by securing millions of dollars in investments for local initiatives providing food assistance, infrastructure improvements, behavioral health services, and adult immigrant and refugee community engagement.

Cindy’s legislative agenda is informed by her decades of public activism, dating back to when she first marched to protect women’s reproductive rights in the 1970s. Since then, Cindy has grown to be a vocal champion for fair labor laws, lowering prescription drug prices, and expanding access to timely, quality behavioral health care, particularly for children. Cindy’s legislative priorities are also reflected in her committee, caucus, and working group memberships she has held since her election to the Senate. Cindy currently serves as:

Cindy moved to Arlington, Massachusetts in 1980 and established deep roots in the community. Cindy became a Town Meeting member, co-founded the Arlington Education Foundation, founded Schools are a Priority in Our Town (SPOT), and was chair of the Arlington No Place for Hate Committee. Cindy also served as the statewide campaign manager for the gubernatorial campaign of Don Berwick and as a local campaign coordinator for the gubernatorial campaign of Deval Patrick and the state Senate campaigns of Ken Donnelly.

Cindy holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Roger Williams University and a master’s degree in special education from Lesley University.

AwardYear
Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers Public Service Award2023
Massachusetts Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs Senate “Champion of Youth” Award2023
ANAMassachusetts Friend of Nursing Award2023
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Massachusetts Distinguished Advocacy Award2023
Massachusetts Coalition of Nurse Practitioners Honor for Tireless Health Policy Advocacy2023
Certificate of Exemplary Support Dignity Alliance of Massachusetts2022
AMA Award for Government Service: Outstanding Member of a State Legislature2022
JCRC Legislative Leadership Award2022
Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council Legislator of the Year Award2022
Women’s Bar Association Public Official of the Year2022
MAMH Spirit of Compassion Award2020
Mass Home Care Legislator of the Year Award2020
Community Recipient of the Endowment for the Advancement of Psychotherapy Leadership Award for the Advancement of Mental Health2020
MassNAELA Legislator of the Year2019
Vinfen Outstanding Public Official Award2019
The Caring Force Caring Bear Award2019
MACEP Certificate of Appreciation2019
Massachusetts Psychological Association Legislator of the Year Award2018
Mitch Snyder Award2018