Hawkins sold auto parts before getting his master's degree and working as a math teacher at Attleboro High School.

[1] Hawkins won a special election on April 3, 2018, to succeed Paul Heroux in the Massachusetts House.

[2][3] Hawkins bested Republican Julie Hall in the special election.

[4] On Hawkins' first day in office, he filed an amendment to fund the Massachusetts Consortium for Innovative Education Assessment (MCIEA), a collaboration of school officials and teachers finding ways to evaluate student performance that is better, more fair, less punitive, and less disruptive than what is currently used in Massachusetts schools.

[5] Hawkins was a regular racer at the Seekonk Speedway, where he earned the nickname "The Hawk".