Elections for the office of Massachusetts State Senate were held in Massachusetts on November 6, 2012. A total of 40 seats were up for election.
The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was June 5, 2012. The primary Election Day was September 6, 2012.
- See also: Massachusetts House of Representatives elections, 2012 and State legislative elections, 2012
Majority control[edit]
- See also: Partisan composition of state senates
Heading into the November 6 election, the Democratic Party held the majority in the Massachusetts State Senate:
Incumbents retiring[edit]
Two incumbents did not run for re-election in 2012. Those incumbents were:
Campaign contributions[edit]
- See also: State-by-state comparison of donations to state senate campaigns
This chart shows how many candidates ran for state senate in Massachusetts in past years and the cumulative amount of campaign contributions in state senate races, including contributions in both primary and general election contests. All figures come from Follow The Money.[1]
Year
|
Number of candidates
|
Total contributions
|
2010
|
93
|
$8,982,549
|
2008
|
56
|
$7,993,572
|
2006
|
68
|
$7,948,867
|
2004
|
81
|
$12,267,971
|
2002
|
62
|
$6,996,755
|
In 2010, the candidates running for state senate raised a total of $8,982,549 in campaign contributions. The top 10 donors were:[2]
Donor
|
Amount
|
Massachusetts Democratic Party
|
$400,290
|
Wolf, Daniel A
|
$262,839
|
Rudnick, Charles S
|
$154,577
|
Spadafora, Craig
|
$80,600
|
Dahlberg, Eric
|
$42,491
|
Moore, Richard T
|
$41,433
|
Wilson Jr., John
|
$36,000
|
Addivinola Jr., Frank J
|
$32,511
|
Silberstein, Debra
|
$30,000
|
Didomenico, Salvador N
|
$27,400
|
Qualifications[edit]
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.
Impact of redistricting[edit]
- See also: Redistricting in Massachusetts
In Massachusetts, the state legislature has jurisdiction over state and Congressional redistricting.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Massachusetts's population increased from 6.35 million to 6.55 million between 2000 and 2010. The highest population densities were near Boston and in the eastern portion of the state.[3] The population increase amounted to 3.1 percent over the past decade, which was well below the national population increase of 9.7 percent.[4] As a result of this slower rate of growth, Massachusetts lost one seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, falling from 10 to 9 seats.[5]
Various interested parties across the state pushed for legislative and Congressional districts to divide towns as little as possible and follow local political and community boundaries.[6] Other groups pushed for more majority-minority districts.[7][8][9] The final approved maps increased the number of minority-majority districts in the State Senate from two to three, and State Senator Patricia Jehlen (D) will not represent all of Winchester after the election. Half of the town will be added to a district current represented by Katherine Clark (D).[10]
List of candidates[edit]
Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin & Hampden District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
- No Republican candidates filed for this district.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Benjamin Downing: 64,679
Bristol and Norfolk District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
November 6 General election candidates:
- James Timilty: 47,333
- Jeffrey Robert Bailey: 28,354
First Bristol and Plymouth District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
- No Republican candidates filed for this district.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Michael J. Rodrigues: 53,169
Second Bristol and Plymouth District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
- No Republican candidates filed for this district.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Mark C. Montigny: 55,059
Cape and Islands District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
- No Republican candidates filed for this district.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Daniel A. Wolf: 80,236
First Essex District[edit]
Note: The First Essex District is a new district with no incumbent.
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
November 6 General election candidates:
- Kathleen A. O'Connor Ives: 36,405
- Shaun Toohey: 26,654
- James M. Kelcourse: 3,358
- Paul A. Magliocchetti: 12,870
Second Essex District[edit]
Note: Incumbent Frederick Berry (D) did not seek re-election.
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
November 6 General election candidates:
- Joan B. Lovely: 56,088
- Richard A. Jolitz: 23,185
Third Essex District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
- No Republican candidates filed for this district.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Thomas M. McGee: 56,936
First Essex and Middlesex District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- No Democratic candidates filed for this district.
- September 6 GOP primary:
- Bruce Tarr a Incumbent Tarr first assumed office in 1995
November 6 General election candidates:
- Bruce Tarr: 78,836
Second Essex and Middlesex District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
November 6 General election candidates:
- Barry R. Finegold: 44,394
- Paul Adams: 23,716
Hampden District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
- No Republican candidates filed for this district.
November 6 General election candidates:
- James T. Welch: 44,180
First Hampden and Hampshire District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
- No Republican candidates filed for this district.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Gale D. Candaras: 59,213
Second Hampden and Hampshire District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- No Democratic candidates filed for this district.
- September 6 GOP primary:
November 6 General election candidates:
- Michael R. Knapik: 54,649
Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
- No Republican candidates filed for this district.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Stanley Rosenberg: 66,072
First Middlesex District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
November 6 General election candidates:
- Eileen M. Donoghue: 44,177
- James J. Buba: 17,884
Second Middlesex District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
- No Republican candidates filed for this district.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Patricia D. Jehlen: 66,267
Third Middlesex District[edit]
Note: Incumbent Susan Fargo (D) did not seek re-election.
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
November 6 General election candidates:
- Mike Barrett: 49,213
- Sandi Martinez: 32,003
Fourth Middlesex District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
November 6 General election candidates:
- Kenneth J. Donnelly: 56,100
- Gerry Dembrowski: 26,210
Fifth Middlesex District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
- No Republican candidates filed for this district.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Katherine M. Clark: 58,256
First Middlesex and Norfolk District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
- No Republican candidates filed for this district.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Cynthia Stone Creem: 61,397
Second Middlesex and Norfolk District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
- No Republican candidates filed for this district.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Karen E. Spilka: 57,863
Middlesex and Suffolk District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
- No Republican candidates filed for this district.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Sal N. DiDomenico: 47,586
Middlesex and Worcester District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
November 6 General election candidates:
- James B. Eldridge: 52,922
- Dean J. Cavaretta: 28,797
Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- No Democratic candidates filed.
- September 6 GOP primary:
November 6 General election candidates:
- Richard J. Ross: 60,885
Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
- No Republican candidates filed for this district.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Brian A. Joyce: 64,019
Norfolk and Plymouth District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
- No Republican candidates filed for this district.
November 6 General election candidates:
- John F. Keenan: 56,518
Norfolk and Suffolk District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
- No Republican candidates filed for this district.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Michael F. Rush: 60,699
Plymouth and Barnstable District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
November 6 General election candidates:
- Therese Murray: 49,723
- Thomas F. Keyes: 35,776
First Plymouth and Bristol District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
- No Republican candidates filed for this district.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Marc R. Pacheco: 61,506
Second Plymouth and Bristol District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
- No Republican candidates filed for this district.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Thomas P. Kennedy: 53,717
Plymouth and Norfolk District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
November 6 General election candidates:
- Genevieve S. Davis: 28,579
- Robert Hedlund: 61,686
First Suffolk District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- Jack Hart a Incumbent Hart first assumed office in 2002
- September 6 GOP primary:
- No Republican candidates filed for this district.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Jack Hart: 54,191
Second Suffolk District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
- No Republican candidates filed for this district.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Sonia Rosa Chang-Diaz: 54,886
First Suffolk and Middlesex District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
November 6 General election candidates:
- Anthony W. Petruccelli: 45,230
- Thomas J. Dooley, III: 10,199
Second Suffolk and Middlesex District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
November 6 General election candidates:
- William N. Brownsberger: 45,852
- Steven Aylward: 14,190
First Worcester District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
- No Republican candidates filed for this district.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Harriette L. Chandler: 53,477
Second Worcester District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
November 6 General election candidates:
- Michael O. Moore: 48,609
- Stephen Simonian: 22,949
Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire and Middlesex District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
- No Republican candidates filed for this district.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Stephen M. Brewer: 63,777
Worcester and Middlesex District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
- No Republican candidates filed for this district.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Jennifer L. Flanagan: 55,228
Worcester and Norfolk District[edit]
- September 6 Democratic primary:
- September 6 GOP primary:
- No Republican candidates filed for this district.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Richard T. Moore: 59,561
See also[edit]
External links[edit]
- ↑ Follow the Money, Massachusetts
- ↑ Follow the Money: "Massachusetts Senate 2010 Campaign Contributions"
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "2010 Census: Massachusetts Profile," accessed August 27, 2012
- ↑ Belmont Citizen-Herald, "Census preparing to deliver redistricting data to states," January 13, 2011
- ↑ Boston Globe, "Legislative redistricting may be a tough task," December 23, 2010
- ↑ Wicked Local Randolph, "Officials push for only one state rep for Randolph," January 27, 2011
- ↑ Eagle Tribune, "Proposal would create Latino-heavy legislative districts — and make targets out of Baddour and Finegold," June 26, 2011
- ↑ Dorchester Reporter, "Redistricting chair: Dot House seats need to expand borders," August 15, 2011
- ↑ Boston Globe, "Advocates seek boost in Mass. minority voter clout," October 5, 2011
- ↑ Winchester Patch, "Half of Winchester Could Get New State Senator ," October 20, 2011
Leadership
Senate President:Karen Spilka
Majority Leader:Cynthia Creem
Senators
Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden District
Bristol and Norfolk District
Cape and Islands District
Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester District
Middlesex and Suffolk District
Middlesex and Worcester District
Norfolk and Plymouth District
Norfolk and Suffolk District
Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex District
Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth District
Plymouth and Barnstable District
Plymouth and Norfolk District
Worcester and Middlesex District
Worcester and Norfolk District
Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire, and Middlesex District
1st Bristol and Plymouth District
1st Essex and Middlesex District
1st Hampden and Hampshire District
1st Middlesex and Norfolk District
1st Plymouth and Bristol District
1st Suffolk and Middlesex District
2nd Bristol and Plymouth District
2nd Essex and Middlesex District
2nd Hampden and Hampshire District
2nd Middlesex and Norfolk District
2nd Plymouth and Bristol District
2nd Suffolk and Middlesex District
Democratic Party (37)
Republican Party (3)