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By Matt Murphy
State House News Service
BOSTON — Conservative Republican state Rep. Jim Lyons is no stranger to ballot competition, but even for him the 2018 campaign will be a first, with his opponent positioning herself as a historic candidate.
Tram Nguyen, a staff attorney at Greater Boston Legal Services, announced Tuesday that she will run for the 18th Essex District House seat that has been held by Lyons since 2010.
Nguyen said she will be the first Vietnamese woman to run for office in Massachusetts.
“I am running to give the people of the 18th Essex District better representation on Beacon Hill,” Nguyen said in a statement. “As a pragmatic progressive, I want to bring an independent voice and bold leadership to the State House to work for the interests of all people and deliver effective results. We need a state representative who focuses on inclusivity, coalition building, and collaboration while prioritizing the issues that matter most to our families.”