Five candidates running in upcoming Massachusetts primary for open state house seat

August 15, 2011

BOSTON, Massachusetts: On August 23, voters in the 12th Bristol District of Massachusetts will head to the polls to select a Democratic and Republican candidate for the special election on September 20.

There are three Democratic candidates and two Republicans vying for the seat. They are:

Democratic Primary Candidates:

• Nancy Yeatts
• Roger Brunelle Jr.
• Allin Frawley

Republican Primary Candidates:

• Derek Maksy
• Keiko Orrall

The election is being held because former officeholder Stephen Canessa (D) resigned on June 24 to take a job as a legislative liaison for SouthCoast Health System.

The current partisan breakdown of the Massachusetts House of Representatives is:

Party		As of September 2025
	Democratic Party	134
	Republican Party	25
	Independent	0
	Unenrolled	1
	Vacancies	0
Total		160

See also

• Massachusetts House of Representatives
• State legislative special elections, 2011
• Democratic candidate profiles
• Republican candidate profiles