March 3, 2025 Story by: Editor
Andrea Joy Campbell is a seasoned attorney and politician who currently serves as the Attorney General of Massachusetts. Before assuming this role, she was elected as the Boston City Councilor for District 4 on November 3, 2015, representing Dorchester, Mattapan, and parts of Roslindale and Jamaica Plain. During her second term, from 2018 to 2020, she made history by becoming the first African-American woman to serve as Boston City Council President after earning unanimous support from her colleagues.
Early Life and Education
Born and raised in Boston, Campbell attended Boston Public Schools, including Boston Latin School. She later earned her bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and went on to obtain her law degree from UCLA Law School.
Legal and Public Service Career
Campbell began her legal career at a nonprofit organization in Roxbury, where she provided free legal assistance to students and their families on education-related issues, such as school discipline and special education needs. Her experience spans both the public and private legal sectors, and before running for the Boston City Council, she served as Deputy Legal Counsel for Governor Deval Patrick.
Boston City Council Leadership and Legislative Achievements
Throughout her tenure on the City Council, Campbell distinguished herself as an accessible, responsive, and pragmatic leader. She took the initiative to expand the Council’s Committee on Public Safety to include Criminal Justice, bringing attention to re-entry services, solitary confinement, and the school-to-prison pipeline.
A strong advocate for affordable housing, historic preservation, and open space, she was one of the lead sponsors of the Community Preservation Act, which was successfully passed in 2016 and continues to generate millions of dollars annually for these causes in Boston. In 2017, she secured the first-ever dedicated budget allocation to support youth development programs and youth-serving organizations.
As City Council President, Campbell prioritized transparency and accessibility, ensuring that Council proceedings were open and inclusive. She also led the first-ever racial equity training for the Council, helping members develop a deeper understanding of racial inequities in Boston’s history and equipping them with strategies to legislate through an equity-focused lens.
Focus Areas and Personal Life
Campbell remains dedicated to issues of public safety and criminal justice reform, education, affordable housing, and racial equity.
Source: City of Boston
