Governor of Massachusetts
Andrea James
Founder and executive director, National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and GirlsIND
- Race
- Governor of Massachusetts
- Election
- 2026-11-03
- Opponents
- Maura Healey (D); Mike Minogue (R)
- Research
- Basic
Party linenone
No recorded floor votes — not a current legislator in our records.
Said vs. did5 statements · 0 votes
Affordable Housing & Rent Stabilization
Stronger rent regulation and tenant protections
Compare statements with votes ›On the ballotGovernor
2026-11-03
| Maura Healey D | incumbent |
| Mike Minogue R | challenger |
| Andrea James IND | challenger |
Unenrolled candidate running with Kayla Kittredge. Initially filed to run as a Democrat and switched her party affiliation to unenrolled in November 2025.
Said vs. did
Each documented position next to the recorded floor votes we map to the same issue. Votes are compared one at a time; no overall stance is inferred from them.
Affordable Housing & Rent Stabilization
Her platform lists affordable housing and rent stabilization under what Massachusetts can afford.[2]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Medicare for All in Massachusetts
Her platform lists Medicare for All in Massachusetts.[2]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Universal Childcare
Her platform lists universal child care.[2]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
End State Cooperation with ICE & Protect Immigrant Families
Her platform calls for ending state cooperation with ICE and protecting immigrant families.[2]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Rapid, Just Transition to 100% Clean Energy
Her platform lists a rapid transition to 100% clean energy.[2]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Biography
Andrea James is a former criminal defense attorney and advocate for incarcerated women and girls running as an independent. She spent two years in federal prison for wire fraud and was disbarred. In a statement on her website, she said people deserve affordable homes, good schools, universal child care, 'Medicare for All,' renewable energy and a 'public banking system that prioritizes people over profit.'[1]
Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.
James earned a law degree from Northeastern University and was later sentenced to two years in federal prison for wire fraud in 2010. She has written extensively about her time in prison.[1]
She founded Families for Justice as Healing, a Massachusetts nonprofit focused on ending the incarceration of women and girls, and is founder and executive director of the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls.[1][3] She is a Roxbury resident.[3]
James first declared a run for governor as a Democrat in March 2025 and changed her party affiliation to unenrolled in November 2025, announcing in January 2026 that she would run as an independent. To qualify for the November ballot she needed to collect 10,000 signatures.[1][3]
In their own words
Priorities
Statements, quoted without a stance
- Raise the minimum wage
“$25 Living Wage”[2]
Listed on her platform page under 'Massachusetts Can Afford'
Campaign moneyNo FEC filing summary matched — state candidates file with their state, not the FEC.
Profile: /people/andrea-james
Compare all 3 candidates side by side ›
Sources cited in this profile
- 1.Criminal justice advocate Andrea James plans independent gubernatorial run · WBUR · 2026-01-05 News report
- 2.Andrea James for Governor - platform · Andrea James for Governor (campaign website) · 2026-10-19 Candidate's own words
- 3.Gubernatorial candidate Andrea James visits Greenfield · Greenfield Recorder · 2026-05-19 News report
- 4.Andrea James for Massachusetts Governor · Andrea James for Governor (campaign website) · 2026-10-19 Candidate's own words