Melissa Murray is a Democratic member of the Rhode Island State Senate representing District 24 since January 2019. She previously served two terms on the Woonsocket City Council from 2013 to 2018, where she was the top vote-getter in 2016 and the first openly LGBTQ+ elected official in Woonsocket. Notable achievements include serving as Senate Deputy Majority Leader, First Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, member of the Senate Committee on Labor, and Secretary of the Permanent Joint Committee on State Lottery; she has also been deeply involved in community boards such as Chair of the Downtown Woonsocket Collaborative and Vice Chair of the Woonsocket Democratic City Committee.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: Born and raised in northern Rhode Island, attending Woonsocket public schools; earned an Associate of Science in Criminal Justice with a focus in Forensic Science from Phoenix College.
• Professional Background: Worked as a Research and Development Chemist and in an Optical Laboratory; owns and operates a small retail business, The Opulent Squid, in Woonsocket and works as a retail business consultant.
• Political Experience: Elected to Woonsocket City Council ; elected to Rhode Island State Senate District 24 in November 2018 as the first woman to represent the district. Active volunteer on non-profit boards, animal rescues , and community events like Woonsocket Main Street Holiday Stroll.