Framingham School Committee Chair To Run For State House Seat

FRAMINGHAM, MA — A third candidate on Thursday stepped into a state House race to replace Maria Robinson: Framingham School Committee Chair Priscila Sousa.

Sousa formed a committee to run for the 6th Middlesex House seat on Thursday, according to the Office of Campaign and Political Finance. Her campaign chairperson will be Debra Tosti, and the treasurer will be Nancy Novo O'Connor

Sousa's entry into the race has long been a rumor in Framingham political circles since Robinson was nominated in the fall to a post in President Joe Biden's Department of Energy. Sousa is the third candidate to enter the 6th Middlesex race after former councilor Margareth Shepard — another prominent Framingham Brazilian-American politician — and activist Dhruba Sen. All three are Democrats.

"South Framingham needs a voice. A voice for our downtown small business owners and our kids who deserve high quality early education. A voice who will not just speak loudly about our environmental justice sites, but take action to clean them up," Sousa said in a statement about her run.

Sousa, 33, emigrated to Massachusetts from Brazil as a child, and previously ran for Framingham mayor in 2017. She is in her second term as the District 5 School Committee member, and was elected the committee's chairperson in January.

Shepard entered the 2022 race in the best financial position of the three candidates. She had about $200 on hand at the end of January; Sen had not raised any money; and Sousa owned her mayoral campaign about $4,200, according to OCPF filings.

Robinson will likely step down from her House seat once she is confirmed in the U.S. Senate. She went before a Senate committee over her nomination earlier this month, but the confirmation is still pending.

Candidates have until the end of May to file to run for state House seats. Democratic primaries will be held in September.

More coverage of the 2022 6th Middlesex race:

• Well Known Framingham Activist Enters 6th Middlesex House Race
• Shepard Will Seek Robinson's State House Seat In 2022
• Framingham Rep. Robinson Faces U.S. Senators Over DOE Nomination

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Sousa owed her School Committee campaign money.