Tom Hopcroft Announces Candidacy for State Senate in Second Middlesex District
 

Coalition builder brings two decades of business, climate, and education leadership to race
 

WINCHESTER, MA – January 4, 2026 – Tom Hopcroft, founder and CEO of the Net Zero Institute and former President & CEO of the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council, announced his candidacy for State Senate in the Second Middlesex District.

Hopcroft enters the race as Massachusetts confronts challenges on multiple fronts, from federal interference threatening state priorities to state level issues of affordability, education, climate, and government accountability.

"I'm running for State Senate because this moment demands leaders who can see the whole system, build coalitions that work, and deliver results," said Hopcroft. "Whether it's protecting our clean energy investments like offshore wind amidst federal interference, ensuring every child has access to mental health care, making housing affordable for teachers and nurses who serve our communities, or preparing students for an AI driven economy, these challenges require bringing people together across sectors to find solutions that work."

"Our communities face complex, interconnected challenges," Hopcroft continued. "Climate investments create workforce opportunities. Mental health support requires coordination across multiple systems. Housing affects education and economic opportunities. We need leaders who understand these connections and can build solutions that address root causes, not just symptoms."

"I bring a unique combination of business expertise, statewide policy experience, climate leadership, and deep local roots," Hopcroft said. "This district needs someone who can work across neighborhoods and sectors, build coalitions around our shared values, and deliver results that benefit people across our communities."

A Democrat, Hopcroft brings an unusual depth of experience bridging business, government, education, and community sectors, experience he gained over two decades leading statewide organizations, serving on state boards, and serving in local government. In Winchester, he serves as a member of Town Meeting, School Committee, and the Energy Management Committee. He is the School Committee liaison to the Climate Action Advisory Committee, a member of the Winchester Democratic Town Committee, and member of the Friends of Winter Pond.

The state primary election will be held on September 1, 2026, and the general election on November 3, 2026.

Building Massachusetts' Innovation Economy

As President & CEO of the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council (MassTLC) from 2008 to 2022, Hopcroft led Massachusetts' premier technology business association through transformative growth while fundamentally shifting its mission toward equity and inclusion. He increased revenues 169% and team size 200%, expanding membership and programming across the innovation economy.

Hopcroft partnered with the Patrick administration on initiatives strengthening Massachusetts' competitive position as a global innovation leader. He organized tech delegations for trade missions to the UK and Brazil, conducted research on the tech economy to guide policy decisions, briefed administration officials on innovation sector needs, and co-chaired the Legislative Tech Caucus Working Group, connecting industry leaders with policymakers to advance legislation supporting economic growth, opportunity, and workforce development.

"I've seen how strategic partnerships between government and business can catalyze economic growth," Hopcroft said. "The Life Sciences Initiative, MassChallenge, and the Mass Green High Performance Computing Center succeeded as public-private partnerships because people came together around shared goals. That's the approach I’ll bring to public service."

His commitment to inclusive innovation produced concrete results. He designed and launched the award-winning Board-Ready Bootcamp, preparing women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and leaders of color to serve on corporate and nonprofit boards. Under his leadership, the council achieved gender parity (50% women) and 25% BIPOC representation on its own board. Following George Floyd's murder in 2020, Hopcroft convened over 100 technology companies to commit to the Tech Compact for Social Justice, focusing the tech community on racial equity.

His immigration advocacy combined economic analysis with legal action. Standing with then-Attorney General Maura Healey in opposing discriminatory immigration policies, he commissioned economic analysis of immigrant contributions to Massachusetts and national economies, then led MassTLC in filing amicus briefs supporting immigrant rights. The analysis was cited by U.S. Supreme Court Justices Breyer, Ginsburg, and Sotomayor in their dissent of the Muslim travel ban case.

Statewide Policy Experience

Appointed by Governor Deval Patrick and reappointed by Governor Charlie Baker to the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education (2014-2019), Hopcroft served on the Executive Committee and chaired the Fiscal Affairs and Administrative Policy Committee during a transformative period for Massachusetts public higher education.

He was part of a board that made Massachusetts the first state in the nation to adopt equity as its top higher education priority. The board championed MassGrant Plus, the first significant expansion of state financial aid in two decades, created the Commonwealth Commitment freezing tuition for transfer students and saving families thousands, and established the THESIS framework protecting students from sudden college closures. He conceived of and made connections for what became the North Shore Community College-Uber Ride program, providing safe and reliable reduced-fare rides connecting the college's Danvers Campus with North Shore transportation hubs, one of only a few such innovative programs offered nationally.

"Serving on the Board of Higher Education taught me how state policy can open doors or close them," Hopcroft said. "We made choices that expanded access for thousands of students. That's what government should do, create opportunity."

Climate Leadership Through Business Strategy

In 2023, Hopcroft founded the Net Zero Institute to accelerate corporate decarbonization by building community among sustainability leaders. He built a network of 500+ corporate sustainability leaders focused on decarbonization as core to business strategy, leveraging innovative "open space" methodologies to foster peer learning, collaboration, and shared problem-solving.
 

"Clean energy is good for business and creates good jobs," Hopcroft said. "I've spent years showing companies how environmental leadership strengthens their competitive position. Climate action and economic growth aren't in conflict, they're complementary."

Local Leadership and Personal Experience

As an elected Winchester School Committee member since 2021, serving as Chair (2023-2024) and Vice Chair (2022-2023, 2024-2025), Hopcroft has championed transparent decision making and led the district through key decisions resulting in the town's first all-electric net zero building with town-owned solar to save taxpayers money long term. Re-elected by Winchester voters in 2024, he has demonstrated the ability to advance values with fiscal responsibility.

Regionally and statewide, he serves on the board of MassRobotics, the McLean Hospital Board of Visitors, and the Franklin Cummings Tech Industry Advisory Board.

Hopcroft brings deep personal understanding to youth mental health challenges as father to children who have faced health challenges including rare autoimmune disorders. "I've sat in those appointments, worked with schools, fought with insurance companies," Hopcroft said. "Every Massachusetts child deserves access to excellent physical and mental health support, not just families who can navigate complex systems or afford to pay out of pocket." He has testified on Beacon Hill for legislation supporting children with medical conditions.

Personal Background and Community Ties

The son and grandson of educators, Hopcroft holds a BA from Hartwick College and JD from New England Law, with additional coursework from Harvard Kennedy School and UC Santa Cruz in environmental studies. He lived on Beacon Street in Somerville when he first moved to the region in the early 1990s, and in fact, had his first date with his now wife, Victoria, at Dali restaurant on Washington and Beacon Street in Somerville.

Today, Hopcroft lives in Winchester with Victoria, their two children, and their two dogs.

A Track Record of Results

Hopcroft's campaign emphasizes his proven ability to turn values into tangible outcomes: MassGrant Plus (first significant financial aid expansion in 20 years), North Shore Community College-Uber Ride program (innovative transportation access solution, one of only a few such programs nationally), Board-Ready Bootcamp (preparing diverse leaders for board service), Tech Compact for Social Justice (100+ companies committed to racial equity), Commonwealth Commitment (saving transfer students thousands in tuition), Winchester's first net zero building (all-electric school with town-owned solar), and immigration advocacy (economic analysis cited by Supreme Court Justices).

"I've spent my career proving that diverse stakeholders can find common ground and achieve more together than any single group can alone," Hopcroft said. "That's systems thinking. That's coalition building. That's what gets results."

Continuing a Legacy of Service

For two decades, Senator Pat Jehlen has been a champion for the Second Middlesex District and a force for justice on Beacon Hill. From equal pay to criminal justice reform, from literacy rights to protections for the most vulnerable, she hasn't just passed legislation, she's carried the values and aspirations of our communities.

"What I've learned from Senator Jehlen is that great representation starts with listening," Hopcroft said. "She keeps an open door and takes every constituent concern seriously. She builds coalitions to get things done. She fights for what's right while finding ways to move legislation forward."

Hopcroft has had opportunities to learn from Senator Jehlen over the years. She nominated him for the Senate's Citizens' Legislative Seminar, providing insight into the formal and informal legislative process. As Chair of the MassTLC Education Foundation, he brought a Technovation Girls team from the district to meet her at the State House, connecting young women interested in tech entrepreneurship with a role model who has spent her career breaking barriers. He brought School Committee student reps to hear about how the senator started out on School Committee during the Massachusetts Association of School Committees Day on the Hill. 

"I don't take lightly the responsibility of seeking to represent a district Senator Jehlen has served so well for so long," Hopcroft said. "I plan to follow her example: keep an open door, listen to every voice, work across differences to solve problems, and never lose sight of why we're here, to serve the people and communities of the Second Middlesex District."

About the Second Middlesex District

The Second Middlesex Senate District includes the city of Cambridge (Ward 7 Precinct 1, Ward 8 Precinct 1, Ward 10, Ward 11), the city of Medford, the city of Somerville and the town of Winchester (Precincts 4, 5, 6, 7). The district is home to approximately 175,000 residents across diverse urban, suburban, and residential neighborhoods.

To learn more, volunteer, or support the campaign, visit www.TomHopcroft.com.

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