Position Sought
North Adams City Council
Current Position
North Adams City Council
Party Affiliation
Democrat
Location
North Adams, Massachusetts
Date of Primary Election
September 9, 2025
Date of General Election
November 4, 2025
General Election Donation Limit
$1,000
Race/Ethnicity
Multiracial
Gender Identity
Transgender Woman
Sexual Orientation
Pansexual
Pronouns
She/Her/Hers
Connect with Ashley Shade
Ashley was the first out trans person elected to office in North Adams!
Biography
Ashley Shade is a long-time resident of North Adams, having moved here with her family in 1991. After graduating from Charles H. McCann Technical High School, she began working and later studying at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts where her interest in politics and civics began. She has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Her professional career has led her into a position where she is able to help people and continue to advocate.
She served as a Senior Service Support Consultant for Wayfair, where she also led an Employee Resource Group for LGBTQ+ employees and allies, and was appointed to the Corporate Impact Council where she was able to help drive positive culture change within the global organization. Ashley is actively involved in numerous organizations, serving to advocate for marginalized communities. She works in Customer Service and previously worked in healthcare at the hospital, pharmacy, and nursing home settings and understands the complex issues that confront the residents in and around North Adams.
As the Chairwoman of a national non-profit organization, Outright USA, and a former member of the National Transgender Visibility March policy team, Ashley continues to work and offer solutions to serve and represent LGBTQ+ community issues and provide a positive impact on people’s lives. Her election as chair of the Libertarian Association of Massachusetts set history, making Ashley the first transgender person in Massachusetts to be elected as the chair of a state political party. She is a staunch advocate for diversity and inclusiveness and uses her platform to increase education and awareness around the issues that face the LGBTQ+ community. Her former work on the Human Services Commission and as President of the Berkshire Stonewall Community Coalition and current work as Co-Chair of the Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Access (I.D.E.A.) Commission has helped further the aim to build a strong, safe, and vibrant community in North Adams. Ashley was elected to her first term as a City Councilor in 2021 and took office in January 2022. In 2022 Ashley left the Libertarian Party and in 2023 she joined the Democratic Party and served as the Political Director and Vice President of the Democratic Freedom Caucus.
Being transgender has given her a unique perspective on what it feels like to be marginalized, a perspective that and the vital importance of helping people of all backgrounds and treating them with equal compassion.