Massachusetts State Senate 2nd Essex District

Massachusetts State Senate 2nd Essex District is represented by Joan Lovely (D).

As of the 2020 Census, Massachusetts state senators represented an average of 175,837 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 163,991 residents.

About the office

Members of the Massachusetts State Senate serve two-year terms and are not subject to term limits. Massachusetts legislators assume office the first Wednesday in January after the election.^[1]

Qualifications

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

Article CI, Section 2 of the Massachusetts Constitution states: "Each district shall elect one senator, who shall have been an inhabitant of this Commonwealth five years at least immediately preceding his election and at the time of his election shall be an inhabitant of the district for which he is chosen; and he shall cease to represent such senatorial district when he shall cease to be an inhabitant of the Commonwealth."^[2]

According to the Massachusetts Secretary of State's office, an individual must be a registered voter to run for office.^[3]

Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

State legislative salaries, 2024^[4]
Salary	Per diem
$73,655.01/year	No per diem is paid.

Vacancies

See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

If there is a vacancy in the Massachusetts General Court, a special election must be conducted to fill the vacant seat. The election must be held on the next regularly scheduled date on the election calendar.^[5] Local governments that conduct special elections can receive reimbursement from the state treasurer's office for costs incurred.^[6]^[7]

See sources: Massachusetts Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 54, § 141 and Massachusetts Const. Amend. Art. 24

District map

Redistricting

2020 redistricting cycle

See also: Redistricting in Massachusetts after the 2020 census

Gov. Charlie Baker (R) signed the state's new legislative maps into law on November 4, 2021.^[8] The state House passed the maps by a vote of 158-1 on October 21, 2021. The state Senate approved the legislative plans on October 27, 2021 by a vote of 36-3. The legislature began consideration of the state's redistricting plans on October 19, 2021.^[9] These maps took effect for Massachusetts' 2022 legislative elections.

After the redistricting plans were enacted, Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin (D) issued a statement expressing concern regarding how the maps would be implemented: "I am extremely disappointed that these bills were signed into law in their current form and I think it is a devastating blow to the voters of Massachusetts. With local precincts divided multiple ways, it will inevitably lead to chaos at the polls and make it impossible for voters to understand who their elected representatives are."^[10] After the legislature approved the maps, State Sen. William Brownsberger (D) said, "It’s a quality final product. We have used every minute we’ve had to keep vetting, to keep adjusting . . . and to respond to input that we’ve received."^[11]

How does redistricting in Massachusetts work? In Massachusetts, congressional and state legislative district lines are drawn by the state legislature. The lines drawn by the state legislature are subject to veto by the governor.^[12]

State statutes require that state legislative district boundaries be contiguous and "reasonably preserve counties, towns, and cities intact, where otherwise possible." There are no such requirements in place for congressional districts.^[12]

Massachusetts State Senate 2nd Essex District
until January 3, 2023

Click a district to compare boundaries.

Massachusetts State Senate 2nd Essex District
starting January 4, 2023

Click a district to compare boundaries.

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Massachusetts State Senate 2nd Essex District

Incumbent Joan Lovely defeated Damian Anketell in the general election for Massachusetts State Senate 2nd Essex District on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Joan Lovely (D)	66.8	58,109
	Damian Anketell (R)	33.1	28,813
	Other/Write-in votes	0.1	86

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 87,008
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Massachusetts State Senate 2nd Essex District

Incumbent Joan Lovely advanced from the Democratic primary for Massachusetts State Senate 2nd Essex District on September 3, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Joan Lovely	99.7	14,724
	Other/Write-in votes	0.3	49

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 14,773
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Massachusetts State Senate 2nd Essex District

Damian Anketell advanced from the Republican primary for Massachusetts State Senate 2nd Essex District on September 3, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Damian Anketell	99.5	4,649
	Other/Write-in votes	0.5	25

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,674
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.