Susan Moran
Susan Moran is a Massachusetts attorney and left-of-center politician who transitioned from the State Senate to county-level judicial administration. She has maintained a dual career in state and local government and real estate. Her policy agenda focuses on expanding the legal cannabis industry, coastal environmental protections, and weather-dependent energy. In social policy, she supported the Safe Communities Act and unionizing ride-share drivers. In January 2025, she assumed office as the Clerk of the Barnstable County Superior Court after choosing not to seek re-election to the state legislature. 1 2
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Education and Professional Background
Moran’s professional background is in law and real estate on the Upper Cape. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Tufts University and a law degree from Suffolk University Law School. Before her state-level career, she operated Susan L. Moran, P.C., a law firm focusing on small business and mental health provider advocacy. She is also a licensed realtor and owner of West Falmouth Real Estate. She began in local government as Chair of the Falmouth Select Board and Deputy Speaker of the Barnstable County Assembly. 3 4 5
Municipal and Regional Offices
Prior to her state-level political career, Moran established a record in municipal and regional offices. She served on the Falmouth Select Board, eventually rising to the position of Chair. She also held leadership roles at the county level, including serving as a delegate and Deputy Speaker for the Barnstable County Assembly. She was also involved in the Cape and Islands Selectmen and Councilors Association, where she served as president. She also contributed to planning initiatives aimed at regional economic growth at the Barnstable Economic Development Council. 3 6
Massachusetts State Senate
Moran represented the Plymouth and Barnstable District as a Democrat in the Massachusetts State Senate from 2020 to 2025. The district comprised the towns of Bourne, Falmouth, Kingston, Pembroke, Plymouth, Sandwich, Mashpee, and Plympton. Her path to the state Senate was marked by a 2020 special election to fill the seat vacated by Republican Vinny deMacedo. She won a five-way Democratic primary before defeating Republican James McMahon in the May 2020 special general election. She successfully defended the seat in the November 2020 general election and again in 2022. During her tenure, she rose to chair the Joint Committee on Revenue and served as Vice-Chair of the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure. She also held seats on committees for Cannabis Policy, Financial Services, and Global Warming and Climate Change. 2 7 8
Moran’s legislative record was characterized by regional economic interests and left-of-center social policy. Her economic development efforts focused on the maritime economy, transportation infrastructure, and childcare access. As leader of the Revenue Committee, she supported the growth of the legal cannabis industry through municipal partnerships. Her environmental policy work centered on coastal resources, renewable energy goals, and wetland mitigation for the cranberry industry. On labor and social issues, she co-sponsored the Safe Communities Act and legislation supporting the right to unionize for ride-share drivers. 2
Her legislative record also included sponsorship and support for bills addressing the economic and health-related harms of sports betting, as well as legislation aimed at aligning the commonwealth’s transportation plans with specific emissions reduction goals. She was involved in policy discussions regarding energy affordability, weather-dependent power competitiveness, and health care-related issues within the state. 9 10