Marc McGovern
He/Him
- Currently
- City Councillor
- Also
- Vice Mayor
- Election history
- 5th term on Council; formerly school committee
He/Him
Marc McGovern was born in Cambridge and has spent much of the last two decades in elected office, first on the School Committee and then on the City Council. He is also active in the Cambridge Democratic City Committee.
Outside of politics, Marc is a licensed social worker, and has continued to work part-time as one while on the council. He's now a consultant with the Suffolk County Juvenile Court, conducting family assessments for families involved in the foster care system.
As the second most tenured councillor, Marc has built his political career on making himself available to constituents.
Marc is generally a "yes" on housing, both market-rate and government-subsidized. In addition to supporting the Multifamily Housing Ordinance, he was the lead sponsor of the original Affordable Housing Overlay.
I am the only city councillor who has filed major policy initiatives with every other member of the city council. I work with everybody.
In the midst of a housing crisis, how could I ever vote for shadows and height over the housing needs of the people of this city?
I live across the street from the needle exchange program in Cambridge. They came in in 1994; my family's been there a lot longer than that. We welcomed them. ...
In my dream of my 7-year-old twins getting off the school bus to come home from school, did it include walking past active heroine users waiting for clean needles? No, that's not how I envisioned my kids' childhood. But you know what? It's a value we believe in.
I appreciate Mr. Rivkin’s concerns. I share many of them, and there is always more we must do, but to suggest that the City Council and the city administration are not supporting immigrants, are cutting social services and not pushing back against the current president is simply not true.
I didn’t become a social worker and public servant to chase a label. Some folks say I’m too progressive, others say I’m not progressive enough. Honestly, I don’t care about the label. What I care about is making a real difference in people’s lives, and that’s what I’ve done.
| Organization | Cambridge? | Union? | View |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Better Cambridge | |||
| Greater Boston Labor Council | |||
| UAW | |||
| Massachusetts Voters for Animals | |||
| National Association of Social Workers | |||
| Cambridge Firefighters IAFF Local 30 | |||
| Committee of Interns and Residents SEIU | |||
| Cambridge Bicycle Safety |
Pedestrian and cycling safety, policy, infrastructure, governance
Pedestrian and cycling safety, policy, infrastructure, governance
Lengthy panel on progressive issues; largely yes/no questions; only 9 respondents. This is the first year this has appeared.
Lengthy panel on progressive issues; largely yes/no questions; only 9 respondents. This is the first year this has appeared.
Housing policy, development, governance
Housing policy, development, governance
Housing, zoning, governance, infrastructure
Housing, zoning, governance, infrastructure
The Pacs have created divisiveness within the community, vice mayor Marc McGovern said, and “it’s going to take all of us to bring even the temperature down locally.”
Sept. 23, 2025 — Michael FitzgeraldThe Pacs have created divisiveness within the community, vice mayor Marc McGovern said, and “it’s going to take all of us to bring even the temperature down locally.”
Zusy, the lone vote against the zoning shifts, said “I’m hoping there will be some new energy brought to the council with this election. I think there’s a lot of groupthink on the council. A lot of people wed to certain ideologies and not thinking beyond the ideology.”
Her comments drew a self-described “spicy” response from McGovern, who, clearly rankled, said “for you to say that certain councillors just get ideological and don’t think about the whole picture or are not thoughtful is pretty insulting to your colleagues. Just because someone disagrees with you does not make them an ideologue.”
Sept. 23, 2025 — Michael FitzgeraldZusy, the lone vote against the zoning shifts, said “I’m hoping there will be some new energy brought to the council with this election. I think there’s a lot of groupthink on the council. A lot of people wed to certain ideologies and not thinking beyond the ideology.”
Her comments drew a self-described “spicy” response from McGovern, who, clearly rankled, said “for you to say that certain councillors just get ideological and don’t think about the whole picture or are not thoughtful is pretty insulting to your colleagues. Just because someone disagrees with you does not make them an ideologue.”
My name is Marc McGovern, and I’m running for reelection to Cambridge City Council because – despite the craziness that surrounds politics these days – I still believe in the government’s ability to make tangible differences in people’s lives.
Oct. 25, 2023 — Marc McGovernMy name is Marc McGovern, and I’m running for reelection to Cambridge City Council because – despite the craziness that surrounds politics these days – I still believe in the government’s ability to make tangible differences in people’s lives.
“It’s really funny, you hear people say, well, we don’t want taller buildings because we don’t want to be Manhattan,” McGovern said. “You know how we’re like Manhattan? We’re second to them in rents.”
“They’re talking about aesthetics. I’m talking about the people, and that’s the difference,” he added.
Sept. 22, 2023 — Jina H. Choe“It’s really funny, you hear people say, well, we don’t want taller buildings because we don’t want to be Manhattan,” McGovern said. “You know how we’re like Manhattan? We’re second to them in rents.”
“They’re talking about aesthetics. I’m talking about the people, and that’s the difference,” he added.