Shannon Liss-Riordan Announces Candidacy for U.S. Senate in 2020

Champion for Workers Shannon Liss-Riordan Announces Candidacy for U.S. Senate in 2020

First-time candidate Liss-Riordan is running as a fighter for workers' rights and against the cycle of Washington politics

Boston - Shannon Liss-Riordan, well-known Massachusetts workers’ rights lawyer and activist, announced her candidacy for the Democratic nomination for U.S Senate this morning in a video and email to supporters and Democratic activists.

“This country is stuck because of the cycle of Washington politics,” said Liss-Riordan.  “Washington needs a fresh voice willing to break that cycle. This election, the people of Massachusetts will have a choice. Maintain the status quo in Washington and stay in this endless cycle.  Or vote for me and break it.”

Shannon has dedicated her entire career to representing workers who have been taken advantage of by their employers.  In some of her earlier cases, Shannon represented restaurant servers whose bosses were taking their tips. Shannon’s work on these cases remade the law in Massachusetts protecting tipped workers.

Shannon has brought - and won - hundreds of cases representing tipped workers, employees misclassified as independent contractors, and low wage workers, forcing massive companies like Starbucks, FedEx, Harvard University, and American Airlines to rewrite their policies and pay employees a fairer wage.  She has received national acclaim for her creative and groundbreaking battles fighting for workers. 

“These cases have made me realize how much the rich and powerful have reshaped our country to benefit them,” said Liss-Riordan. “They’ve been writing the rules for too long.  We need to make a change.”

Shannon’s roots as an activist date back to before she was a lawyer when she co-founded the Third Wave, a young women’s movement whose mission was to promote women, people of color, and young people’s engagement in political and social causes.

Shannon is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Harvard College.  She lives in Brookline with her husband Kevin, their three children, and their dog Logan (named in honor of the Logan skycaps).

The Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate will be held in September of 2020