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Massachusetts' 4th Congressional District elections, 2012
2014 →
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November 6, 2012 |
September 6, 2012 |
Joseph Kennedy III  |
Barney Frank |
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The 4th Congressional District of Massachusetts held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 2012.
Joseph Kennedy III (D) won election to the U.S. House of Representative on November 6th, 2012.[1] His election came after long-time congressman Barney Frank (D) made the decision to retire.
| Candidate Filing Deadline | Primary Election | General Election |
|---|---|---|
Primary: Massachusetts has a partially closed primary system, in which the selection of a party's candidates in an election is limited to registered party members. In Massachusetts, however, independent voters may select which party's primary to vote in.
Voter registration: Voters were required to register to vote in the primary by August 17, 2012. For the general election, the voter registration deadline was October 17, 2012.[2]
- See also: Massachusetts elections, 2012
Incumbent: Because Massachusetts lost a seat after the 2010 Census, the state's congressional districts went through significant changes. Prior to the election, the 4th Congressional District was represented by Barney Frank (D). However, Frank announced at the end of November 2011 that he would retire rather than seek re-election[3]
This was the first election using district maps based on data from the 2010 Census. Massachusetts' 4th Congressional District was located in the southern portion of the state and included Middlesex, Norfolk, and Bristol counties.[4]
Candidates
Note: Election results were added on election night as races were called. Vote totals were added after official election results had been certified. Click here for more information about Ballotpedia's election coverage plan. Please contact us about errors in this list.
General election candidates
September 6 Democratic Primary
- Rachel Brown: Larouche Democrat[5]
- Joseph Kennedy III:
Grandson of Robert F. Kennedy[6] - Herb Robinson: Engineer[7]
Republican Primary
- Elizabeth Childs: Physician and small business owner[8]
- Sean Bielat: Management Consultant[9]
- David Steinhof: Dentist[10]
Election results
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Joseph Kennedy III |
59.3% | 221,303 | |
| Republican | Sean Bielat | 34.8% | 129,936 | |
| Independent | David Rosa | 2.9% | 10,741 | |
| N/A | All Others | 0.1% | 265 | |
| N/A | Blank Votes | 2.9% | 10,869 | |
| Total Votes | 373,114 | |||
| Source: Massachusetts Secretary of State "Return of Votes" | ||||
Democratic Primary
The primary took place on September 6, 2012.[11]
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Joseph Kennedy III |
90.1% | 36,388 |
| Rachel Brown | 6.5% | 2,611 |
| Herb Robinson | 3.4% | 1,368 |
| Total Votes | 40,367 | |
Republican Primary
The primary took place on September 6, 2012.[12]
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Sean Bielat |
73.3% | 14,784 |
| Elizabeth Childs | 13.5% | 2,727 |
| David Steinhof | 13.1% | 2,649 |
| Total Votes | 20,160 | |
Impact of redistricting
- See also: Redistricting in Massachusetts
WPRI said in November 2011 that the loss of New Bedford, a Democratic stronghold, to the new 9th District made the new 4th more competitive. Democratic-leaning areas like Brookline and Newton remained in the 4th District, and the district expanded to include Republican-leaning towns along the Rhode Island border (North Attleboro, Plainville, and the hometown of Republican U.S. Senator Scott Brown, Wrentham).
In a formal statement, Frank cited the district changes as a reason for his departure, "The newly configured district contains approximately 325,000 new constituents, many of them in a region of the state that is wholly new to me as a Member of Congress. A significant number of others are in the area along our east-west border with Rhode Island which I have not represented for 20 years. This means that running for re-election will require – appropriately in our democracy – a significant commitment of my time and energy, introducing myself to hundreds of thousands of new constituents, learning about the regional and local issues of concern to them and, not least importantly, raising an additional $1.5 to $2 million."[13]
District partisanship
FairVote's Monopoly Politics 2012 study
- See also: FairVote's Monopoly Politics 2012
In 2012, FairVote did a study on partisanship in the congressional districts, giving each a percentage ranking (D/R) based on the new 2012 maps and comparing that to the old 2010 maps. Massachusetts' 4th District became less Democratic because of redistricting.[14]
- 2012: 58D / 42R
- 2010: 61D / 39R
Cook Political Report's PVI
In 2012, Cook Political Report released its updated figures on the Partisan Voter Index, which measured each congressional district's partisanship relative to the rest of the country. Massachusetts' 4th Congressional District had a PVI of D+11, which was the 100th most Democratic district in the country. In 2008, this district was won by Barack Obama (D), 62-38 percent over John McCain (R). In 2004, John Kerry (D) won the district 62-38 percent over George W. Bush (R).[15]
Polls
The Boston Herald conducted a poll in February 2012. While Joseph Kennedy had not yet officially entered the race, it was expected he would join shortly after the poll was conducted. The poll was meant to test the impact of the "Kennedy name" in the district.[16]
| Sean Bielat vs. Joseph Kennedy III | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Joseph Kennedy III | Sean Bielat | Neither/Don't know | Margin of error | Sample size | ||||||||||||||
| UMass Lowell/Boston Herald (February 2-4 and 6-8, 2011) | 60% | 28% | 12% | +/-6.4 | 408 | ||||||||||||||
| Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. | |||||||||||||||||||
Issues
On September 19, 2012 Sean Bielat released an open letter to Joseph Kennedy III. This letter accused Kennedy of "running on" his name, instead of engaging in public forms. Kennedy had previously agreed to participate in three non-televised debates.[17]
2012 Campaign donors
Rachel Brown
| Rachel Brown (2012) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| April Quarterly[18] | March 31, 2012 | $5.07 | $1,548.99 | $(816.56) | $737.50 | ||||
| July Quarterly[19] | June 30, 2012 | $737.50 | $7,282.00 | $(7,938.64) | $80.86 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $8,830.99 | $(8,755.2) | ||||||||
Joe Kennedy III
| Joe Kennedy III (2012) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| April Quarterly[20] | March 31, 2012 | $0.00 | $1,317,711.82 | $(193,868.66) | $1,123,843.16 | ||||
| July Quarterly[21] | June 30, 2012 | $1,123,833.26 | $1,286,898.78 | $(507,632.26) | $1,903,099.78 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $2,604,610.6 | $(701,500.92) | ||||||||
Herb Robinson
| Herb Robinson (2012) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| April Quarterly[22] | March 31, 2012 | $1,687.85 | $3,372.90 | $(3,089.18) | $1,971.57 | ||||
| July Quarterly[23] | June 30, 2012 | $1,971.57 | $4,917.68 | $(5,892.11) | $997.14 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $8,290.58 | $(8,981.29) | ||||||||
Elizabeth Childs
| Elizabeth Childs (2012) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| April Quarterly[24] | March 31, 2012 | $29,201.15 | $43,028.82 | $(36,212.72) | $36,017.25 | ||||
| July Quarterly[25] | June 30, 2012 | $36,017.25 | $50,693.70 | $(60,506.79) | $26,204.16 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $93,722.52 | $(96,719.51) | ||||||||
Sean Bielat
| Sean Bielat (2012) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| April Quarterly[26] | March 31, 2012 | $0.00 | $176,385.87 | $(49,592.65) | $126,793.22 | ||||
| July Quarterly[27] | June 30, 2012 | $126,793.22 | $217,836.01 | $(181,803.76) | $162,825.47 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $394,221.88 | $(231,396.41) | ||||||||
David Steinhof
| David Steinhof (2012) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| April Quarterly[28] | March 31, 2012 | $0.00 | $2,000.00 | $(469.41) | $1,530.59 | ||||
| July Quarterly[29] | June 30, 2012 | $1,530.59 | $18,486.00 | $(14,571.12) | $5,445.47 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $20,486 | $(15,040.53) | ||||||||
District history
| Candidate ballot access |
|---|
 |
| Find detailed information on ballot access requirements in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. |
2010
On November 2, 2010, Barney Frank won re-election to the United States House of Representatives. He defeated Sean Bielat in the general election.[30]
| U.S. House of Representatives, Massachusetts Congressional District 4 Election, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Barney Frank Incumbent |
55.4% | 125,825 | |
| Republican | Sean Bielat | 44.6% | 101,315 | |
| Total Votes | 227,140 | |||
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in Massachusetts, 2012
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2012
- United States Senate elections in Massachusetts, 2012
Footnotes
- ↑ Politico, "2012 Election Map, Massachusetts"
- ↑ Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Voter Registration Information," accessed July 25, 2012
- ↑ Wall Street Journal, "Frank Won't Seek Re-Election," November 29, 2011
- ↑ Massachuestts Redistricting Map, "Map" accessed August 31, 2012
- ↑ Rachel Brown for Congress "Home" August 25, 2012
- ↑ Washington Post "Joe Kennedy III announces run for Barney Frank’s seat," February 15, 2012
- ↑ Official Herb Robinson Campaign Website
- ↑ Boston Globe "Brookline School Committee member readies run against Barney Frank," September 9, 2011
- ↑ Boston Globe "Sean Bielat to make 2d bid for Congress," January 18, 2012
- ↑ Herald News "Fall River dentist to run for Congress" August 25, 2012
- ↑ C-SPAN "2012 Election," October 4, 2012
- ↑ C-SPAN "2012 Election," October 4, 2012
- ↑ WPRI "New-look 4th District likely pushed Barney Frank to retire" August 25, 2012
- ↑ , "2011 Redistricting and 2012 Elections in Massachusetts," September 2012
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "Partisan Voting Index Districts of the 113th Congress: 2004 & 2008" accessed October 2012
- ↑ Boston Herald, "Poll: Joe Kennedy III has huge lead in U.S. Rep race," February 10, 2012
- ↑ Bielat's Offiical Campaign Website, "Press Releases" October 4, 2012
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Rachel Brown April Quarterly," accessed July 2, 2012
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Rachel Brown July Quarterly," accessed July 2, 2012
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Joe Kennedy III April Quarterly," accessed July 2, 2012
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Joe Kennedy III July Quarterly," accessed July 2, 2012
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Herb Robinson April Quarterly," accessed July 2, 2012
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Herb Robinson July Quarterly," accessed July 2, 2012
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Elizabeth Childs April Quarterly," accessed July 2, 2012
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Elizabeth Childs July Quarterly," accessed July 2, 2012
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Sean Bielat April Quarterly," accessed July 2, 2012
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Sean Bielat July Quarterly," accessed July 2, 2012
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Elizabeth Childs April Quarterly," accessed July 2, 2012
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Elizabeth Childs July Quarterly," accessed July 2, 2012
- ↑ MSNBC "2010 Election Results"
