Massachusetts Senate swears in Vanna Howard as senator for 1st Middlesex District

The Massachusetts Senate on March 24, 2026, formally swore in Vanna Vanna Howard as the state senator for the 1st Middlesex District during a brief ceremony in the chamber.

Governor Maura T. Healey joined the chamber and praised Howard’s path to office, saying, “You are a path breaking leader. You’ve inspired and brought hope to so many.” The governor noted Howard’s five years of service in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and said Howard is the first Cambodian American to hold the office in the state.

Howard took the oath of office and delivered remarks about her life and public‑service priorities. “I am honored to be standing here today as your new state senator,” she said, recounting her arrival in the United States as a refugee at age 11 and thanking volunteers, family and predecessors who mentored her. She invoked the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, urging colleagues and constituents to “fight for the things you care about” while bringing others along.

Senators appointed to canvass the special election returns reported that the canvass confirmed the result for the 1st Middlesex District; the committee’s report was accepted and the new senator was escorted to her chair. The chamber recessed for a brief reception in Howard’s honor after the ceremony.

The session also included routine business and scheduled the Senate to reconvene the next day for a formal session.

Next procedural step: the Senate will return in regular session the following day at 11:00 a.m.