Massachusetts House of Representatives elections, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 17
- Early voting: Oct. 22 - Nov. 2
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: No ID required generally
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
| 2018 Massachusetts House elections | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General | November 6, 2018 |
| Primary | September 4, 2018 |
| Past election results |
| 2016・2014・2012・2010・2008 2006・2004・2002・2000 |
| 2018 elections | |
|---|---|
| Choose a chamber below: | |
Democrats held their veto-proof majority in the 2018 elections for Massachusetts House of Representatives, winning 127 seats to Republicans' 32 seats. One independent incumbent was also re-elected. All 160 House seats were up for election. At the time of the election, Democrats held a 117-34 majority with two independent legislators and seven vacant seats.
Following the 2018 election, Massachusetts continued to be under divided government with incumbent Charles D. Baker (R) winning the governor's office and Democrats maintaining control of both chambers of the state legislature.
The Massachusetts House of Representatives was one of 87 state legislative chambers with elections in 2018. There are 99 chambers throughout the country.
Massachusetts state representatives serve two-year terms, with all seats up for election every two years.
Post-election analysis
- See also: State legislative elections, 2018
The Democratic Party maintained supermajority status in both chambers of the Massachusetts General Court in the 2018 election. In the state Senate, all 40 seats were up for election. Democrats increased their supermajority in the Massachusetts State Senate from 31-7 to 34-6. Two seats were vacant before the election. One Republican incumbent was defeated in the general election.
The Massachusetts House of Representatives held elections for all 160 seats. The Democrats increased their supermajority in the House of Representatives. Before the election, Democrats held 117 seats, Republicans held 34 seats, independents held two seats, and seven seats were vacant. Following the election, Democrats held 127 seats, Republicans held 32 seats, and an independent held one seat. Three Democratic incumbents were defeated in the primary. Two incumbents were defeated in the general election; one Republican and one independent.
National background
On November 6, 2018, 87 of the nation's 99 state legislative chambers held regularly scheduled elections for 6,073 of 7,383 total seats, meaning that nearly 82 percent of all state legislative seats were up for election.
- Entering the 2018 election, Democrats held 42.6 percent, Republicans held 56.8 percent, and independents and other parties held 0.6 percent of the seats up for regular election.
- Following the 2018 election, Democrats held 47.3 percent, Republicans held 52.3 percent, and independents and other parties held 0.4 percent of the seats up for regular election.
- A total of 469 incumbents were defeated over the course of the election cycle, with roughly one-third of them defeated in the primary.
Want more information?
- Incumbents defeated in 2018's state legislative elections
- 2018 election analysis: Partisan balance of state legislative chambers
- 2018 election analysis: Number of state legislators by party
- 2018 election analysis: State legislative supermajorities
Candidates
General election candidates
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Massachusetts House of Representatives General Election 2018
- Incumbents are marked with an (i) after their name.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Office Democratic
Republican
Other 1st Barnstable District
Timothy Whelan (i)
1st Berkshire District
1st Bristol District
1st Essex District
1st Franklin District 1st Hampden District
1st Hampshire District 1st Middlesex District 1st Norfolk District
1st Plymouth District
1st Suffolk District
1st Worcester District Matthew Moncreaff (Green-Rainbow Party of Massachusetts)
2nd Barnstable District 2nd Berkshire District
2nd Bristol District
2nd Essex District
2nd Franklin District
2nd Hampden District 2nd Hampshire District 2nd Middlesex District
2nd Norfolk District
2nd Plymouth District
2nd Suffolk District 2nd Worcester District
Yasmine Khdeer (Green-Rainbow Party of Massachusetts)
3rd Barnstable District
3rd Berkshire District 3rd Bristol District 3rd Essex District
3rd Hampden District
3rd Hampshire District Solomon Goldstein-Rose (i) (Independent)
3rd Middlesex District
3rd Norfolk District
3rd Plymouth District
3rd Suffolk District
3rd Worcester District
4th Barnstable District
4th Berkshire District 4th Bristol District
4th Essex District
4th Hampden District
4th Middlesex District 4th Norfolk District
4th Plymouth District Joseph Armstrong (Independent)
Nathaniel Powell (Independent)
4th Suffolk District 4th Worcester District
5th Barnstable District
5th Bristol District
5th Essex District James Gardner (Independent)
5th Hampden District
5th Middlesex District
5th Norfolk District
5th Plymouth District
5th Suffolk District Althea Garrison (Independent Progressive Party)
5th Worcester District 6th Bristol District
6th Essex District
Donato Paglia (Unaffiliated)
6th Hampden District
6th Middlesex District 6th Norfolk District
6th Plymouth District
6th Suffolk District
6th Worcester District
7th Bristol District
7th Essex District
7th Hampden District
7th Middlesex District 7th Norfolk District 7th Plymouth District 7th Suffolk District
7th Worcester District
8th Bristol District
8th Essex District
8th Hampden District
8th Middlesex District
8th Norfolk District
8th Plymouth District
8th Suffolk District
8th Worcester District 9th Bristol District 9th Essex District
Michael Coller (Independent)
9th Hampden District
9th Middlesex District
9th Norfolk District
9th Plymouth District
9th Suffolk District 9th Worcester District 10th Bristol District
10th Essex District
10th Hampden District
10th Middlesex District
10th Norfolk District
10th Plymouth District
10th Suffolk District
10th Worcester District
11th Bristol District 11th Essex District 11th Hampden District
11th Middlesex District
11th Norfolk District
11th Plymouth District
11th Suffolk District
11th Worcester District
12th Bristol District 12th Essex District
12th Hampden District Donald Flannery (Independent)
12th Middlesex District
12th Norfolk District
12th Plymouth District 12th Suffolk District
12th Worcester District Stanley Marcinczyk Jr. (Unaffiliated)
13th Bristol District
Michael Janson (Independent)
13th Essex District 13th Middlesex District 13th Norfolk District
13th Suffolk District
13th Worcester District
14th Bristol District 14th Essex District 14th Middlesex District Daniel Factor (Green-Rainbow Party of Massachusetts)
14th Norfolk District
14th Suffolk District
14th Worcester District
15th Essex District Anand Gonsalves (Unaffiliated)
15th Middlesex District 15th Norfolk District 15th Suffolk District 15th Worcester District
16th Essex District 16th Middlesex District 16th Suffolk District
16th Worcester District 17th Essex District
17th Middlesex District
17th Suffolk District
17th Worcester District 18th Essex District James Lyons Jr. (i)
18th Middlesex District
18th Suffolk District
18th Worcester District
19th Middlesex District Patricia Meuse (Unaffiliated)
19th Suffolk District
20th Middlesex District 21st Middlesex District
22nd Middlesex District
Matthew Mixon (Second American Revolution Party)
23rd Middlesex District
24th Middlesex District
25th Middlesex District
26th Middlesex District
27th Middlesex District
28th Middlesex District 29th Middlesex District
30th Middlesex District 31st Middlesex District
Kateen Kumar (Independent)
32nd Middlesex District
33rd Middlesex District
34th Middlesex District
35th Middlesex District
36th Middlesex District
37th Middlesex District
Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket District
Primary candidates
The candidate list below is based on a candidate filing list provided by the Massachusetts Secretary of State. The filing deadline for the September primary was on June 5, 2018. (I) denotes an incumbent.[3]
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Massachusetts House of Representatives Primary Election 2018
- Incumbents are marked with an (i) after their name.
Office Other 1st Barnstable District
1st Berkshire District
1st Bristol District
1st Essex District
1st Franklin District Kate Welch Albright-Hanna
Andrew Baker
Christine Doktor
Jonathan Edwards
Casey Thomas Pease
Nathaniel Waring
Francia Wisnewski
1st Hampden District
1st Hampshire District 1st Middlesex District 1st Norfolk District
1st Plymouth District
1st Suffolk District
1st Worcester District 2nd Barnstable District 2nd Berkshire District
2nd Bristol District 2nd Essex District
2nd Franklin District 2nd Hampden District 2nd Hampshire District 2nd Middlesex District
2nd Norfolk District
2nd Plymouth District
2nd Suffolk District 2nd Worcester District
3rd Barnstable District
3rd Berkshire District 3rd Bristol District 3rd Essex District
3rd Hampden District
3rd Hampshire District 3rd Middlesex District 3rd Norfolk District
3rd Plymouth District
3rd Suffolk District
3rd Worcester District
4th Barnstable District
4th Berkshire District 4th Bristol District
4th Essex District
4th Hampden District
4th Middlesex District 4th Norfolk District
4th Plymouth District 4th Suffolk District 4th Worcester District
5th Barnstable District 5th Bristol District
5th Essex District 5th Hampden District
5th Middlesex District
5th Norfolk District
5th Plymouth District
5th Suffolk District 5th Worcester District 6th Bristol District
6th Essex District 6th Hampden District
6th Middlesex District Mary Kate Feeney (Write-in)
Michael Gatlin (Write-in)
Mark Tilden (Write-in)
Thomas Blandford (Write-in)
6th Norfolk District
6th Plymouth District
6th Suffolk District
6th Worcester District
7th Bristol District
7th Essex District
7th Hampden District
7th Middlesex District 7th Norfolk District 7th Plymouth District 7th Suffolk District
7th Worcester District
8th Bristol District
8th Essex District
8th Hampden District
8th Middlesex District
8th Norfolk District
8th Plymouth District
8th Suffolk District
8th Worcester District 9th Bristol District 9th Essex District
9th Hampden District 9th Middlesex District
9th Norfolk District
9th Plymouth District
9th Suffolk District 9th Worcester District 10th Bristol District
10th Essex District
10th Hampden District
10th Middlesex District
10th Norfolk District
10th Plymouth District
10th Suffolk District
10th Worcester District
11th Bristol District 11th Essex District 11th Hampden District
11th Middlesex District
11th Norfolk District
11th Plymouth District
11th Suffolk District 11th Worcester District
12th Bristol District 12th Essex District
12th Hampden District 12th Middlesex District
12th Norfolk District
12th Plymouth District 12th Suffolk District 12th Worcester District 13th Bristol District
13th Essex District 13th Middlesex District 13th Norfolk District 13th Suffolk District
13th Worcester District
14th Bristol District 14th Essex District 14th Middlesex District 14th Norfolk District
14th Suffolk District
Segun Idowu
Christopher Obi Nzenwa
Virak Uy
Gretchen Van Ness
14th Worcester District
15th Essex District 15th Middlesex District
Matthew Cohen
Joseph Lahiff
Mary Ann Stewart
William Joseph Sweeney
15th Norfolk District 15th Suffolk District 15th Worcester District
16th Essex District 16th Middlesex District 16th Suffolk District
16th Worcester District 17th Essex District
17th Middlesex District
17th Suffolk District
17th Worcester District 18th Essex District
18th Middlesex District 18th Suffolk District
18th Worcester District
19th Middlesex District Erika Frances Johnson
Mark Kratman
Michael McCoy
Judith O'Connell
19th Suffolk District
20th Middlesex District 21st Middlesex District
22nd Middlesex District
23rd Middlesex District 24th Middlesex District
25th Middlesex District 26th Middlesex District
27th Middlesex District
28th Middlesex District 29th Middlesex District
30th Middlesex District Joseph Demers
Anne Landry
Darryn Elliot Remillard
31st Middlesex District
32nd Middlesex District
33rd Middlesex District
34th Middlesex District
35th Middlesex District
36th Middlesex District 37th Middlesex District
Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket District
Margins of victory
A margin of victory (MOV) analysis for the 2018 Massachusetts House of Representatives races is presented in this section. MOV represents the percentage of total votes that separated the winner and the second-place finisher. For example, if the winner of a race received 47 percent of the vote and the second-place finisher received 45 percent of the vote, the MOV is 2 percent.
The table below presents the following figures for each party:
- Elections won
- Elections won by less than 10 percentage points
- Elections won without opposition
- Average margin of victory[4]
| Massachusetts House of Representatives: 2018 Margin of Victory Analysis | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Elections won | Elections won by less than 10% | Unopposed elections | Average margin of victory[4] |
| Democratic |
||||
| Republican |
||||
 Other |
||||
| Total | ||||
The margin of victory in each race is presented below. The list is sorted from the closest MOV to the largest (including unopposed races).
Seats flipped
The below map displays each seat in the Massachusetts House of Representatives which changed partisan hands as a result of the 2018 elections, shaded according to the partisan affiliation of the winner in 2018. Hover over a shaded district for more information.
| State legislative seats flipped in 2018, Massachusetts House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| District | Incumbent | 2018 winner | Direction of flip |
| Massachusetts House of Representatives Seventeenth Worcester District | Kate Campanale |
David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf |
R to D |
| Massachusetts House of Representatives Eighteenth Essex District | James Lyons Jr. |
Tram Nguyen |
R to D |
| Massachusetts House of Representatives Third Hampshire District | Solomon Goldstein-Rose |
Mindy Domb |
Independent to D |
Incumbents retiring
Twenty incumbents did not run for re-election in 2018.[5] Those incumbents were:
| Name | Party | Current Office |
|---|---|---|
| Keiko Orrall |  Republican |
House District 12th Bristol |
| Brendan Crighton |  Democratic |
House District 11th Essex |
| Diana DiZoglio | Democratic |
House District 14th Essex |
| Juana B. Matias | Democratic |
House District 16th Essex |
| Stephen Kulik | Democratic |
House District 1st Franklin |
| Peter Kocot | Democratic |
House District 1st Hampshire |
| John Scibak | Democratic |
House District 2nd Hampshire |
| Chris Walsh | Democratic |
House District 6th Middlesex |
| Cory Atkins | Democratic |
House District 14th Middlesex |
| Jay Kaufman | Democratic |
House District 15th Middlesex |
| James Miceli | Democratic |
House District 19th Middlesex |
| James Dwyer | Democratic |
House District 30th Middlesex |
| Frank Smizik | Democratic |
House District 15th Norfolk |
| James Cantwell | Democratic |
House District 4th Plymouth |
| Geoff Diehl | Republican |
House District 7th Plymouth |
| Thomas Calter, III | Democratic |
House District 12th Plymouth |
| Nick Collins | Democratic |
House District 4th Suffolk |
| Evandro C. Carvalho | Democratic |
House District 5th Suffolk |
| Kevin Kuros | Republican |
House District 8th Worcester |
| Kate Campanale | Republican |
House District 17th Worcester |
Process to become a candidate
See statutes: Massachusetts General Laws, Part I, Title VIII, Chapter 53
For party candidates
Recognized political party candidates seeking access to the primary election ballot must submit nomination papers. Nomination papers are provided by the Secretary of the Commonwealth. Nomination papers must be signed by a certain number of registered voters. The number of required signatures varies according to the office being sought.[6][7]
| Required signatures for nomination papers | |
|---|---|
| Office | Required signatures |
| Governor, Attorney General, United States Senator | 10,000 |
| Secretary of the Commonwealth, Treasurer, Auditor | 5,000 |
| United States Representative | 2,000 |
| State Senator | 300 |
| State Representative | 150 |
A candidate must be an enrolled member of the party whose nomination he or she is seeking; with the exception of newly registered voters, the candidate must be enrolled throughout the 90-day period preceding the filing deadline. An individual cannot be a candidate for nomination by one party if he or she was enrolled in any other party during the one-year period preceding the filing deadline. A candidate must prove party affiliation by filing with the Secretary of the Commonwealth a certificate of party enrollment signed or stamped by at least three local election officials of the city or town where the candidate is registered. At least one such certificate (which is included on the nomination papers discussed below) must be completed and filed by the filing deadline.[6][8]
Before filing nomination papers, the candidate must make sure that at least one of the certified nomination papers contains a written acceptance of nomination personally signed by either the candidate or his or her authorized attorney. Although the candidate does not have to sign the acceptance space on all nomination papers, the candidate should sign several certified papers to ensure that one of the papers ultimately filed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth will include the written acceptance.[6][9]
For the nomination papers to be valid, a candidate for state-level office must also file a receipt from the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission indicating that he or she has filed a statement of financial interest (federal candidates are exempt from this requirement). The receipt must be filed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth by the filing deadline. Prior to the filing deadline, a state-level candidate must file a written statement with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance indicating whether the candidate agrees to limit campaign spending. A candidate who does not agree to limit spending may be required to file an additional statement of intended spending prior to the deadline for filing withdrawals of nomination.[6][9]
Nomination papers must be submitted to the registrars of the cities or towns in which signatures were collected for certification prior to final filing with the Secretary of the Commonwealth.[6][10]
For non-party candidates
Like party candidates, independents and other non-party candidates gain access to the general election ballot by filing nomination papers. A non-party candidate must file a certificate proving that he or she is a registered voter and is not enrolled in a recognized political party. This certificate is printed on each nomination paper, and at least one of these certificates must be signed and stamped by at least three local elections officials of the city or town where the candidate is registered.[6]
A non-party candidate may state a political designation in no more than three words. Signature requirements are the same as those that apply to party candidates.[6]
| Required signatures for nomination papers | |
|---|---|
| Office | Required signatures |
| Governor, Attorney General, United States Senator | 10,000 |
| Secretary of the Commonwealth, Treasurer, Auditor | 5,000 |
| United States Representative | 2,000 |
| State Senator | 300 |
| State Representative | 150 |
Before filing nomination papers, the candidate must make sure that at least one of the certified nomination papers contains a written acceptance of nomination personally signed by either the candidate or his or her authorized attorney. Although the candidate does not have to sign the acceptance space on all nomination papers, the candidate should sign several certified papers to ensure that one of the papers ultimately filed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth will include the written acceptance.[6]
For the nomination papers to be valid, a candidate for state-level office must also file a receipt from the State Ethics Commission indicating that he or she has filed a statement of financial interest (federal candidates are exempt from this requirement). The receipt must be filed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth by the filing deadline. Prior to the filing deadline, a state-level candidate must file a written statement with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance indicating whether the candidate agrees to limit campaign spending. A candidate who does not agree to limit spending may be required to file an additional statement of intended spending prior to the deadline for filing withdrawals of nomination.[6][9]
Nomination papers must be submitted to the registrars of the cities or towns in which signatures were collected for certification prior to final filing with the Secretary of the Commonwealth.[6][10]
For write-in candidates
An individual is entitled to seek nomination or election by conducting a write-in campaign. No special forms (such as a declaration of intent) are required, but write-in candidates should familiarize themselves with the rules and guidelines that govern the casting of write-in votes. More information about write-in candidacies can be accessed here.[11]
Filing deadlines
Filing deadlines vary according to the type of candidate (i.e., party or non-party) and the office being sought. The table below summarizes the various filing deadlines established by statute.[12][8][13]
| Filing deadlines | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type of candidate and office sought | Deadline for certification with local officials | Final filing deadline |
| Party and non-party candidates for the Massachusetts General Court | 5:00 p.m. on the 28th day preceding the final filing deadline[10] | 5:00 p.m. on the last Tuesday in May in the year the election is to be held |
| Party candidates for federal and statewide office | 5:00 p.m. on the 28th day preceding the final filing deadline[10] | 5:00 p.m. on the first Tuesday in June in the year the election is to be held |
| Non-party candidates for federal and statewide office | 5:00 p.m. on the 28th day preceding the final filing deadline[10] | 5:00 p.m. on the last Tuesday in August in the year the election is to be held |
Qualifications
Article LXXI of the Massachusetts Constitution states: Every representative, for one year at least immediately preceding his election, shall have been an inhabitant of the district for which he is chosen and shall cease to represent such district when he shall cease to be an inhabitant of the commonwealth.
Salaries and per diem
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2024[14] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $73,655.01/year | No per diem is paid. |
When sworn in
Massachusetts legislators assume office the first Wednesday in January after the election.[15]
Massachusetts political history
Party control
2018
In the 2018 elections, Democrats increased their majority in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 117-34 to 127-32.
| Massachusetts House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 6, 2018 | After November 7, 2018 | |
| Democratic Party | 117 | 127 | |
| Republican Party | 34 | 32 | |
| Independent | 2 | 1 | |
| Vacancy | 7 | 0 | |
| Total | 160 | 160 | |
2016
In the 2016 elections, Democrats maintained their majority in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, but Republicans flipped one seat.
| Massachusetts House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 7, 2016 | After November 8, 2016 | |
| Democratic Party | 125 | 125 | |
| Republican Party | 34 | 35 | |
| Vacancy | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 160 | 160 | |
Trifectas
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Democrats in Massachusetts held a state government trifecta from 2007 to 2014. Democrats held control of the state legislature every year between 1992 to 2017, but only held the governor's office for eight years during that same period of time.
Massachusetts Party Control: 1992-2024
Ten years of Democratic trifectas • No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
Wave election analysis
- See also: Wave elections (1918-2016)
The term wave election is frequently used to describe an election cycle in which one party makes significant electoral gains. How many seats would Republicans have had to lose for the 2018 midterm election to be considered a wave election?
Ballotpedia examined the results of the 50 election cycles that occurred between 1918 and 2016—spanning from President Woodrow Wilson's (D) second midterm in 1918 to Donald Trump's (R) first presidential election in 2016. We define wave elections as the 20 percent of elections in that period resulting in the greatest seat swings against the president's party.
Applying this definition to state legislative elections, we found that Republicans needed to lose 494 seats for 2018 to qualify as a wave election.
The chart below shows the number of seats the president's party lost in the 10 state legislative waves from 1918 to 2016. Click here to read the full report.
| State legislative wave elections | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | President | Party | Election type | State legislative seats change | Elections analyzed[16] | |
| 1932 | Hoover | R | Presidential | -1,022 | 7,365 | |
| 1922 | Harding | R | First midterm | -907 | 6,907 | |
| 1966 | Johnson | D | First midterm[17] | -782 | 7,561 | |
| 1938 | Roosevelt | D | Second midterm | -769 | 7,179 | |
| 1958 | Eisenhower | R | Second midterm | -702 | 7,627 | |
| 2010 | Obama | D | First midterm | -702 | 7,306 | |
| 1974 | Ford | R | Second midterm[18] | -695 | 7,481 | |
| 1920 | Wilson | D | Presidential | -654 | 6,835 | |
| 1930 | Hoover | R | Presidential | -640 | 7,361 | |
| 1954 | Eisenhower | R | First midterm | -494 | 7,513 | |
Competitiveness
Every year, Ballotpedia uses official candidate lists from each state to examine the competitiveness of every state legislative race in the country. Nationally, there has been a steady decline in electoral competitiveness since 2010. Most notable is that the number of districts with general election competition has dropped by more than 10 percent.
Results from 2016
Click here to read the full study »
Historical context
Uncontested elections: In 2014, 32.8 percent of Americans lived in states with an uncontested state senate election. Similarly, 40.4 percent of Americans lived in states with uncontested house elections. Primary elections were uncontested even more frequently, with 61 percent of people living in states with no contested primaries. Uncontested elections often occur in locations that are so politically one-sided that the result of an election would be a foregone conclusion regardless of whether it was contested or not.
Open seats: In most cases, an incumbent will run for re-election, which decreases the number of open seats available. In 2014, 83 percent of the 6,057 seats up for election saw the incumbent running for re-election. The states that impose term limits on their legislatures typically see a higher percentage of open seats in a given year because a portion of incumbents in each election are forced to leave office. Overall, the number of open seats decreased from 2012 to 2014, dropping from 21.2 percent in 2012 to 17.0 percent in 2014.
Incumbent win rates: Ballotpedia's competitiveness analysis of elections between 1972 and 2014 documented the high propensity for incumbents to win re-election in state legislative elections. In fact, since 1972, the win rate for incumbents had not dropped below 90 percent—with the exception of 1974, when 88 percent of incumbents were re-elected to their seats. Perhaps most importantly, the win rate for incumbents generally increased over time. In 2014, 96.5 percent of incumbents were able to retain their seats. Common convention holds that incumbents are able to leverage their office to maintain their seat. However, the high incumbent win rate may actually be a result of incumbents being more likely to hold seats in districts that are considered safe for their party.
Marginal primaries: Often, competitiveness is measured by examining the rate of elections that have been won by amounts that are considered marginal (5 percent or less). During the 2014 election, 90.1 percent of primary and general election races were won by margins higher than 5 percent. Interestingly, it is usually the case that only one of the two races—primary or general—will be competitive at a time. This means that if a district's general election is competitive, typically one or more of the district's primaries were won by more than 5 percent. The reverse is also true: If a district sees a competitive primary, it is unlikely that the general election for that district will be won by less than 5 percent. Primaries often see very low voter turnout in comparison to general elections. In 2014, there were only 27 million voters for state legislative primaries, but approximately 107 million voters for the state legislative general elections.
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
There are no Pivot Counties in Massachusetts. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) won Massachusetts with 60 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 32.8 percent. In presidential elections between 1789 and 2016, Massachusetts voted Republican 36.2 percent of the time and Democratic 34.4 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Massachusetts voted Democratic all five times.[19]
Presidential results by legislative district
The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Massachusetts. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[20][21]
| In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 135 out of 160 state House districts in Massachusetts with an average margin of victory of 31.6 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 141 out of 160 state House districts in Massachusetts with an average margin of victory of 34.1 points. Clinton won 21 districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections. |
| In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 25 out of 160 state House districts in Massachusetts with an average margin of victory of 4.1 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 19 out of 160 state House districts in Massachusetts with an average margin of victory of 5.5 points. Trump won five districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections. |
| 2016 presidential results by state House district | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | Party Control |
| 1st Barnstable | 52.83% | 45.95% | D+6.9 | 54.25% | 40.30% | D+13.9 | R |
| 2nd Barnstable | 51.41% | 47.36% | D+4 | 51.23% | 43.35% | D+7.9 | R |
| 3rd Barnstable | 51.51% | 47.40% | D+4.1 | 51.46% | 43.18% | D+8.3 | R |
| 4th Barnstable | 59.37% | 39.15% | D+20.2 | 61.01% | 33.27% | D+27.7 | D |
| 5th Barnstable | 46.70% | 52.18% | R+5.5 | 46.51% | 47.96% | R+1.5 | R |
| Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket | 66.06% | 32.40% | D+33.7 | 67.91% | 26.73% | D+41.2 | D |
| 1st Berkshire | 75.97% | 21.96% | D+54 | 64.80% | 28.91% | D+35.9 | D |
| 2nd Berkshire | 72.11% | 25.20% | D+46.9 | 62.79% | 28.88% | D+33.9 | D |
| 3rd Berkshire | 78.04% | 20.17% | D+57.9 | 69.82% | 23.79% | D+46 | D |
| 4th Berkshire | 72.73% | 25.16% | D+47.6 | 67.10% | 26.65% | D+40.4 | D |
| 1st Bristol | 49.95% | 48.60% | D+1.3 | 51.43% | 41.88% | D+9.5 | R |
| 2nd Bristol | 54.45% | 43.74% | D+10.7 | 51.21% | 42.15% | D+9.1 | D |
| 3rd Bristol | 58.04% | 40.47% | D+17.6 | 51.99% | 42.18% | D+9.8 | R |
| 4th Bristol | 49.92% | 48.56% | D+1.4 | 44.73% | 49.52% | R+4.8 | R |
| 5th Bristol | 58.87% | 39.64% | D+19.2 | 47.75% | 47.17% | D+0.6 | D |
| 6th Bristol | 68.82% | 29.72% | D+39.1 | 56.35% | 38.69% | D+17.7 | D |
| 7th Bristol | 77.30% | 21.38% | D+55.9 | 60.14% | 35.19% | D+24.9 | D |
| 8th Bristol | 61.64% | 36.65% | D+25 | 49.62% | 45.70% | D+3.9 | D |
| 9th Bristol | 63.77% | 34.82% | D+29 | 54.87% | 40.02% | D+14.9 | D |
| 10th Bristol | 57.46% | 40.85% | D+16.6 | 51.95% | 42.49% | D+9.5 | D |
| 11th Bristol | 67.49% | 30.98% | D+36.5 | 53.72% | 41.37% | D+12.4 | D |
| 12th Bristol | 47.98% | 50.59% | R+2.6 | 42.18% | 51.17% | R+9 | R |
| 13th Bristol | 79.03% | 19.51% | D+59.5 | 67.99% | 27.51% | D+40.5 | D |
| 14th Bristol | 47.95% | 50.47% | R+2.5 | 49.19% | 43.69% | D+5.5 | R |
| 1st Essex | 58.73% | 39.73% | D+19 | 58.92% | 34.55% | D+24.4 | R |
| 2nd Essex | 47.64% | 50.94% | R+3.3 | 50.01% | 43.20% | D+6.8 | R |
| 3rd Essex | 58.33% | 40.05% | D+18.3 | 54.68% | 39.44% | D+15.2 | D |
| 4th Essex | 49.49% | 48.99% | D+0.5 | 56.39% | 36.14% | D+20.2 | R |
| 5th Essex | 61.97% | 36.37% | D+25.6 | 61.31% | 32.31% | D+29 | D |
| 6th Essex | 58.28% | 39.92% | D+18.4 | 61.15% | 32.02% | D+29.1 | D |
| 7th Essex | 69.04% | 29.05% | D+40 | 69.34% | 25.32% | D+44 | D |
| 8th Essex | 58.96% | 39.82% | D+19.1 | 65.25% | 29.15% | D+36.1 | D |
| 9th Essex | 51.28% | 47.55% | D+3.7 | 48.11% | 47.22% | D+0.9 | R |
| 10th Essex | 73.89% | 24.92% | D+49 | 69.13% | 26.74% | D+42.4 | D |
| 11th Essex | 72.61% | 26.32% | D+46.3 | 68.14% | 27.90% | D+40.2 | D |
| 12th Essex | 58.23% | 40.71% | D+17.5 | 54.68% | 40.76% | D+13.9 | D |
| 13th Essex | 49.14% | 49.76% | R+0.6 | 48.34% | 46.53% | D+1.8 | D |
| 14th Essex | 54.53% | 44.41% | D+10.1 | 57.19% | 37.48% | D+19.7 | D |
| 15th Essex | 49.66% | 48.95% | D+0.7 | 48.67% | 46.26% | D+2.4 | D |
| 16th Essex | 85.76% | 13.45% | D+72.3 | 84.45% | 12.80% | D+71.6 | D |
| 17th Essex | 69.57% | 29.27% | D+40.3 | 72.28% | 23.64% | D+48.6 | D |
| 18th Essex | 46.04% | 52.72% | R+6.7 | 54.32% | 39.92% | D+14.4 | R |
| 1st Franklin | 72.05% | 24.24% | D+47.8 | 65.61% | 25.83% | D+39.8 | D |
| 2nd Franklin | 56.98% | 40.32% | D+16.7 | 46.76% | 44.48% | D+2.3 | R |
| 1st Hampden | 50.50% | 47.10% | D+3.4 | 41.37% | 50.94% | R+9.6 | R |
| 2nd Hampden | 48.88% | 49.81% | R+0.9 | 48.48% | 45.34% | D+3.1 | D |
| 3rd Hampden | 48.21% | 50.34% | R+2.1 | 40.77% | 53.04% | R+12.3 | R |
| 4th Hampden | 52.05% | 46.09% | D+6 | 44.18% | 48.46% | R+4.3 | D |
| 5th Hampden | 76.21% | 22.23% | D+54 | 70.31% | 24.26% | D+46 | D |
| 6th Hampden | 57.70% | 40.76% | D+16.9 | 50.76% | 42.70% | D+8.1 | D |
| 7th Hampden | 58.26% | 40.16% | D+18.1 | 49.63% | 44.46% | D+5.2 | D |
| 8th Hampden | 62.46% | 35.74% | D+26.7 | 52.02% | 41.54% | D+10.5 | D |
| 9th Hampden | 73.98% | 24.89% | D+49.1 | 67.07% | 28.05% | D+39 | D |
| 10th Hampden | 89.24% | 9.80% | D+79.4 | 86.30% | 10.44% | D+75.9 | D |
| 11th Hampden | 87.10% | 12.17% | D+74.9 | 83.07% | 13.51% | D+69.6 | D |
| 12th Hampden | 56.20% | 42.36% | D+13.8 | 53.48% | 41.01% | D+12.5 | D |
| 1st Hampshire | 74.76% | 21.85% | D+52.9 | 73.04% | 20.69% | D+52.4 | D |
| 2nd Hampshire | 64.93% | 32.82% | D+32.1 | 60.89% | 32.47% | D+28.4 | D |
| 3rd Hampshire | 80.22% | 15.53% | D+64.7 | 80.48% | 12.34% | D+68.1 | D |
| 1st Middlesex | 47.26% | 50.81% | R+3.6 | 48.66% | 43.00% | D+5.7 | R |
| 2nd Middlesex | 50.57% | 47.70% | D+2.9 | 57.63% | 35.02% | D+22.6 | D |
| 3rd Middlesex | 56.98% | 41.08% | D+15.9 | 60.45% | 32.31% | D+28.1 | D |
| 4th Middlesex | 56.82% | 41.66% | D+15.2 | 60.04% | 32.92% | D+27.1 | D |
| 5th Middlesex | 61.30% | 37.21% | D+24.1 | 67.13% | 26.71% | D+40.4 | D |
| 6th Middlesex | 63.78% | 34.77% | D+29 | 68.63% | 25.73% | D+42.9 | D |
| 7th Middlesex | 65.17% | 33.11% | D+32.1 | 68.55% | 25.96% | D+42.6 | D |
| 8th Middlesex | 52.11% | 46.32% | D+5.8 | 61.49% | 31.69% | D+29.8 | D |
| 9th Middlesex | 62.07% | 36.35% | D+25.7 | 65.73% | 29.21% | D+36.5 | D |
| 10th Middlesex | 66.81% | 30.90% | D+35.9 | 70.11% | 24.47% | D+45.6 | D |
| 11th Middlesex | 72.44% | 25.87% | D+46.6 | 79.67% | 16.11% | D+63.6 | D |
| 12th Middlesex | 71.39% | 27.24% | D+44.2 | 79.78% | 15.97% | D+63.8 | D |
| 13th Middlesex | 59.89% | 38.66% | D+21.2 | 69.70% | 25.02% | D+44.7 | D |
| 14th Middlesex | 61.45% | 36.93% | D+24.5 | 70.68% | 23.09% | D+47.6 | D |
| 15th Middlesex | 65.23% | 33.25% | D+32 | 70.89% | 24.36% | D+46.5 | D |
| 16th Middlesex | 57.39% | 40.81% | D+16.6 | 57.07% | 36.89% | D+20.2 | D |
| 17th Middlesex | 64.30% | 34.06% | D+30.2 | 63.64% | 30.81% | D+32.8 | D |
| 18th Middlesex | 72.01% | 26.19% | D+45.8 | 70.80% | 23.93% | D+46.9 | D |
| 19th Middlesex | 47.72% | 50.95% | R+3.2 | 45.71% | 48.35% | R+2.6 | D |
| 20th Middlesex | 44.55% | 54.30% | R+9.8 | 49.17% | 45.33% | D+3.8 | R |
| 21st Middlesex | 53.64% | 44.91% | D+8.7 | 58.01% | 36.52% | D+21.5 | D |
| 22nd Middlesex | 48.95% | 49.55% | R+0.6 | 46.63% | 47.64% | R+1 | R |
| 23rd Middlesex | 70.03% | 28.02% | D+42 | 75.40% | 20.23% | D+55.2 | D |
| 24th Middlesex | 70.77% | 27.24% | D+43.5 | 77.16% | 17.73% | D+59.4 | D |
| 25th Middlesex | 87.71% | 9.28% | D+78.4 | 91.60% | 4.47% | D+87.1 | D |
| 26th Middlesex | 83.86% | 12.83% | D+71 | 85.23% | 9.96% | D+75.3 | D |
| 27th Middlesex | 83.33% | 12.56% | D+70.8 | 86.25% | 8.61% | D+77.6 | D |
| 28th Middlesex | 71.63% | 27.32% | D+44.3 | 68.19% | 28.40% | D+39.8 | D |
| 29th Middlesex | 77.88% | 19.90% | D+58 | 80.34% | 14.99% | D+65.3 | D |
| 30th Middlesex | 54.29% | 44.44% | D+9.8 | 56.38% | 38.41% | D+18 | D |
| 31st Middlesex | 54.40% | 44.32% | D+10.1 | 59.35% | 35.33% | D+24 | D |
| 32nd Middlesex | 58.58% | 40.09% | D+18.5 | 63.26% | 31.55% | D+31.7 | D |
| 33rd Middlesex | 71.29% | 27.38% | D+43.9 | 70.43% | 25.37% | D+45.1 | D |
| 34th Middlesex | 77.59% | 19.70% | D+57.9 | 79.06% | 16.41% | D+62.7 | D |
| 35th Middlesex | 66.99% | 31.33% | D+35.7 | 67.97% | 27.68% | D+40.3 | D |
| 36th Middlesex | 45.48% | 53.03% | R+7.6 | 42.87% | 50.73% | R+7.9 | D |
| 37th Middlesex | 57.30% | 40.51% | D+16.8 | 61.57% | 31.42% | D+30.2 | D |
| 1st Norfolk | 63.32% | 35.48% | D+27.8 | 64.99% | 30.69% | D+34.3 | D |
| 2nd Norfolk | 61.48% | 36.87% | D+24.6 | 62.08% | 32.68% | D+29.4 | D |
| 3rd Norfolk | 57.76% | 40.72% | D+17 | 56.10% | 38.52% | D+17.6 | D |
| 4th Norfolk | 54.00% | 44.71% | D+9.3 | 54.04% | 40.55% | D+13.5 | D |
| 5th Norfolk | 53.33% | 45.49% | D+7.8 | 54.21% | 40.96% | D+13.2 | D |
| 6th Norfolk | 54.76% | 43.94% | D+10.8 | 57.99% | 36.76% | D+21.2 | D |
| 7th Norfolk | 64.53% | 34.43% | D+30.1 | 70.26% | 25.65% | D+44.6 | D |
| 8th Norfolk | 57.44% | 41.37% | D+16.1 | 62.81% | 31.87% | D+30.9 | D |
| 9th Norfolk | 45.47% | 53.10% | R+7.6 | 50.22% | 42.53% | D+7.7 | R |
| 10th Norfolk | 49.83% | 48.66% | D+1.2 | 53.95% | 39.29% | D+14.7 | D |
| 11th Norfolk | 52.45% | 46.30% | D+6.2 | 59.11% | 35.26% | D+23.9 | D |
| 12th Norfolk | 52.22% | 46.45% | D+5.8 | 55.81% | 38.57% | D+17.2 | D |
| 13th Norfolk | 56.03% | 42.84% | D+13.2 | 68.71% | 25.54% | D+43.2 | D |
| 14th Norfolk | 55.45% | 43.45% | D+12 | 71.30% | 23.03% | D+48.3 | D |
| 15th Norfolk | 79.91% | 18.38% | D+61.5 | 86.69% | 9.54% | D+77.2 | D |
| 1st Plymouth | 50.69% | 48.14% | D+2.6 | 49.30% | 44.37% | D+4.9 | R |
| 2nd Plymouth | 51.35% | 47.20% | D+4.1 | 44.33% | 49.21% | R+4.9 | R |
| 3rd Plymouth | 50.47% | 48.53% | D+1.9 | 59.44% | 34.90% | D+24.5 | D |
| 4th Plymouth | 47.44% | 51.41% | R+4 | 50.56% | 43.65% | D+6.9 | D |
| 5th Plymouth | 45.28% | 53.60% | R+8.3 | 47.09% | 47.03% | D+0.1 | R |
| 6th Plymouth | 45.38% | 53.57% | R+8.2 | 46.64% | 46.63% | D+0 | D |
| 7th Plymouth | 48.54% | 50.16% | R+1.6 | 44.57% | 48.99% | R+4.4 | R |
| 8th Plymouth | 47.35% | 51.33% | R+4 | 44.46% | 49.48% | R+5 | R |
| 9th Plymouth | 81.06% | 18.22% | D+62.8 | 78.39% | 18.68% | D+59.7 | D |
| 10th Plymouth | 61.75% | 37.09% | D+24.7 | 58.16% | 36.73% | D+21.4 | D |
| 11th Plymouth | 58.06% | 40.87% | D+17.2 | 60.55% | 34.28% | D+26.3 | D |
| 12th Plymouth | 47.40% | 51.32% | R+3.9 | 45.61% | 48.24% | R+2.6 | D |
| 1st Suffolk | 73.37% | 24.91% | D+48.5 | 73.10% | 22.68% | D+50.4 | D |
| 2nd Suffolk | 71.84% | 26.90% | D+44.9 | 76.21% | 19.22% | D+57 | D |
| 3rd Suffolk | 71.09% | 27.35% | D+43.7 | 79.66% | 15.45% | D+64.2 | D |
| 4th Suffolk | 61.05% | 37.30% | D+23.7 | 68.29% | 26.46% | D+41.8 | D |
| 5th Suffolk | 94.61% | 4.81% | D+89.8 | 92.68% | 5.07% | D+87.6 | D |
| 6th Suffolk | 95.47% | 4.08% | D+91.4 | 93.59% | 4.54% | D+89 | D |
| 7th Suffolk | 92.59% | 6.06% | D+86.5 | 91.36% | 5.13% | D+86.2 | D |
| 8th Suffolk | 72.73% | 24.88% | D+47.8 | 83.11% | 11.68% | D+71.4 | D |
| 9th Suffolk | 82.40% | 16.00% | D+66.4 | 88.02% | 8.40% | D+79.6 | D |
| 10th Suffolk | 63.79% | 34.72% | D+29.1 | 69.50% | 26.11% | D+43.4 | D |
| 11th Suffolk | 91.98% | 5.56% | D+86.4 | 91.90% | 4.62% | D+87.3 | D |
| 12th Suffolk | 89.27% | 10.00% | D+79.3 | 88.55% | 8.74% | D+79.8 | D |
| 13th Suffolk | 75.39% | 23.17% | D+52.2 | 75.29% | 20.60% | D+54.7 | D |
| 14th Suffolk | 79.00% | 19.99% | D+59 | 79.52% | 17.18% | D+62.3 | D |
| 15th Suffolk | 84.86% | 12.29% | D+72.6 | 87.51% | 8.19% | D+79.3 | D |
| 16th Suffolk | 63.50% | 35.30% | D+28.2 | 59.11% | 37.28% | D+21.8 | D |
| 17th Suffolk | 77.64% | 18.89% | D+58.7 | 82.86% | 11.64% | D+71.2 | D |
| 18th Suffolk | 74.20% | 23.06% | D+51.1 | 80.06% | 14.20% | D+65.9 | D |
| 19th Suffolk | 63.48% | 35.30% | D+28.2 | 59.95% | 35.80% | D+24.1 | D |
| 1st Worcester | 46.67% | 51.71% | R+5 | 47.91% | 44.44% | D+3.5 | R |
| 2nd Worcester | 53.41% | 44.50% | D+8.9 | 45.44% | 45.79% | R+0.4 | D |
| 3rd Worcester | 58.54% | 39.51% | D+19 | 55.84% | 37.09% | D+18.8 | D |
| 4th Worcester | 52.53% | 45.87% | D+6.7 | 50.78% | 42.31% | D+8.5 | D |
| 5th Worcester | 48.13% | 49.61% | R+1.5 | 40.09% | 52.24% | R+12.2 | R |
| 6th Worcester | 52.73% | 45.50% | D+7.2 | 44.60% | 48.25% | R+3.7 | R |
| 7th Worcester | 49.84% | 48.30% | D+1.5 | 45.40% | 47.56% | R+2.2 | R |
| 8th Worcester | 48.75% | 49.58% | R+0.8 | 43.70% | 49.00% | R+5.3 | R |
| 9th Worcester | 48.24% | 49.97% | R+1.7 | 49.20% | 42.92% | D+6.3 | R |
| 10th Worcester | 52.50% | 46.08% | D+6.4 | 52.64% | 41.20% | D+11.4 | D |
| 11th Worcester | 53.37% | 45.35% | D+8 | 58.58% | 35.43% | D+23.2 | R |
| 12th Worcester | 51.02% | 47.03% | D+4 | 51.95% | 40.30% | D+11.6 | D |
| 13th Worcester | 63.31% | 34.84% | D+28.5 | 64.37% | 29.71% | D+34.7 | D |
| 14th Worcester | 63.30% | 35.15% | D+28.1 | 62.37% | 31.65% | D+30.7 | D |
| 15th Worcester | 74.95% | 23.26% | D+51.7 | 70.59% | 24.24% | D+46.3 | D |
| 16th Worcester | 69.75% | 28.73% | D+41 | 66.34% | 28.56% | D+37.8 | D |
| 17th Worcester | 63.80% | 34.38% | D+29.4 | 59.07% | 34.73% | D+24.3 | R |
| 18th Worcester | 45.93% | 52.43% | R+6.5 | 40.90% | 52.00% | R+11.1 | R |
| Total | 60.79% | 37.60% | D+23.2 | 60.98% | 33.34% | D+27.6 | - |
| Source: Daily Kos | |||||||
See also
- Massachusetts House of Representatives
- Massachusetts State Legislature
- State legislative elections, 2018
- Massachusetts state legislative Democratic primaries, 2018
- Massachusetts state legislative Republican primaries, 2018
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Vacant seats are counted towards the party that last held the seat.
- ↑ Governing.com, "2017-2018 Governors' Races: Where Power Is Most and Least Likely to Flip," January 5, 2017
- ↑ Massachusetts Secretary of State, "2018 State Primary Candidates," accessed June 22, 2018
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Excludes unopposed elections
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9 Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "A Candidate's Guide to the 2014 State Election," revised January 2014
- ↑ Massachusetts General Laws, "Part I, Title VIII, Chapter 53, Section 6," accessed March 18, 2014
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Massachusetts General Laws, "Part I, Title VIII, Chapter 53, Section 48," accessed March 18, 2014
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Massachusetts General Laws, "Part I, Title VIII, Chapter 53, Section 9," accessed March 18, 2014
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Massachusetts General Laws, "Part I, Title VIII, Chapter 53, Section 46," accessed March 18, 2014
- ↑ Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "How to Run for Office as a Write-in or Sticker Candidate," accessed March 18, 2014
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedmacalendar - ↑ Massachusetts General Laws, "Part I, Title VIII, Chapter 53, Section 10," accessed March 18, 2014
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ Massachusetts Constitution, "Article LXXXII," accessed February 12, 2021
- ↑ The number of state legislative seats available for analysis varied, with as many as 7,795 and as few as 6,835.
- ↑ Lyndon Johnson's (D) first term began in November 1963 after the death of President John F. Kennedy (D), who was first elected in 1960. Before Johnson had his first midterm in 1966, he was re-elected president in 1964.
- ↑ Gerald Ford's (R) first term began in August 1974 following the resignation of President Richard Nixon (R), who was first elected in 1968 and was re-elected in 1972. Because Ford only served for two full months before facing the electorate, this election is classified as Nixon's second midterm.
- ↑ 270towin.com, "Massachusetts," accessed June 29, 2017
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
