Your feedback ensures we stay focused on the facts that matter to you most—take our survey.
Massachusetts election preview, 2024
 |
| Election Analysis Hub, 2024 |
| Election analysis |
|---|
| Top 15 elections to watch Municipal partisanship Uncontested elections Competitiveness reports: Congress State executives State legislatures |
| Elections coverage |
| Election results, 2024 Election previews Congressional elections State government trifectas State legislatures State executives Governors Municipal elections Mayoral elections |
| Previews by state |
Last updated: Oct. 11, 2024
Thousands of general elections are taking place across the United States on Nov. 5, 2024. Those elections include offices at the federal, state, and local levels. This is one of 50 pages in which Ballotpedia previews the elections happening in each state as part of the Daily Brew’s 50 states in 25 days series.
This page provides an overview of all elections happening in Massachusetts within our coverage scope on Nov. 5, 2024. Those elections include offices for one U.S. Senator, nine U.S. Representatives, eight state executives, 160 state representatives, and 40 state senators. There are also five statewide ballot measures on the ballot in Massachusetts. On this page, you will also find information regarding:
- How to vote in Massachusetts
- The elected offices that Massachusetts voters can expect to see on their ballots
- The races in Massachusetts that Ballotpedia is covering as battlegrounds
- The ballot measures that voters in Massachusetts will decide on
- Ballotpedia's Sample Ballot Lookup Tool
- The partisan balance of Massachusetts' congressional delegation and state government
- Past presidential election results in Massachusetts
- The competitiveness of legislative elections in Massachusetts
- The candidates who are on the ballot in Massachusetts
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Massachusetts
What's on the ballot?
2024 elections
- See also: Massachusetts elections, 2024
Massachusetts voters will elect one U.S. Senator and nine U.S. Representatives. There are no open U.S. House districts.
All eight seats on the Massachusetts Governor's Council are up for election. Two seats are open, meaning no incumbent is running.
All 160 seats in the state House and all 40 seats in the state Senate are up for election. There are 16 open seats in the state House and three open seats in the state Senate.
Municipal elections will be held in Suffolk County for register of deeds, county clerk of courts civil business, county clerk of courts criminal business, county clerk of supreme judicial court, and register of probate. Suffolk County is one of 80 counties included in Ballotpedia's coverage of municipal elections.
Below is a list of Massachusetts elections covered by Ballotpedia in 2024. Click the links to learn more about each type:
| Massachusetts elections, 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Office | Elections? | More information |
| U.S. Senate | ✓ | Click here |
| U.S. House | ✓ | Click here |
| Congress special election | — | — |
| Governor | — | — |
| Other state executive | ✓ | Click here |
| State Senate | ✓ | Click here |
| State House | ✓ | Click here |
| Special state legislative | ✓ | Click here |
| State Supreme Court | — | — |
| Intermediate appellate courts | — | — |
| School boards | — | — |
| Municipal government | ✓ | Click here |
| Recalls | — | — |
| Ballot measures | ✓ | Click here |
| Local ballot measures | ✓ | Click here |
Legend: ✓ election(s) / — no elections
Subject to Ballotpedia's scope
Your ballot
- See also: Sample Ballot Lookup
Noteworthy elections
As of Oct. 11, 2024, Ballotpedia did not identify any federal or state elections as battleground races. Those are the races that we expect to have a meaningful effect on the balance of power in governments or to be particularly competitive or compelling.
Ballot measures
- See also: Massachusetts 2024 ballot measures
There are five statewide ballot measures on the ballot in Massachusetts.
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question 1 | Public information; State executive; Legislative processes | Authorize the state auditor to audit the state legislature, and remove some existing regulations regarding the auditing process |
|
2,326,932 (72%) |
924,294 (28%) |
|
| Question 2 | Public education governance | Eliminate the requirement that students must pass the standards-based (MCAS) exam to graduate high school |
|
2,004,216 (59%) |
1,388,560 (41%) |
|
| Question 3 | Labor; Business | Provide for unionization and collective bargaining for transportation network drivers |
|
1,771,770 (54%) |
1,504,681 (46%) |
|
| Question 4 | Psychedelics; Drug crime | Allow persons 21 years of age or older to grow, possess, and use natural psychedelic substances, as well as establish a commission to regulate the licensing of psychedelic substances and services |
|
1,444,812 (43%) |
1,902,527 (57%) |
|
| Question 5 | Minimum wage | Increase the minimum wage for tipped employees to meet the state's standard minimum wage |
|
1,200,980 (36%) |
2,147,245 (64%) |
There were 76 ballot measures on the ballot in Massachusetts from 1985 to 2022. Voters approved 41 measures and defeated 35.
State analysis
Partisan balance
Democrats represent all nine districts in Massachusetts' U.S. House delegation. In the U.S. House, Republicans have a 220-212 majority with three vacancies.
Both of Massachusetts' U.S. Senators — Elizabeth Warren (D) and Edward Markey (D) — are Democrats. Democrats have a majority in the U.S. Senate. There are 47 Democrats, 49 Republicans, and four independents. Three independents caucus with the Democratic Party, and one other counts towards the Democratic majority for committee purposes.
As of October 2024, Democrats have 36-4 majority in the state Senate and a 132-25-1 majority with one vacancy in the state House.
Because the governor is a Democrat, Massachusetts is one of 17 states with a Democratic trifecta. It has held this status since 2023, when Gov. Maura Healey (D) assumed office. Massachusetts' attorney general and secretary of state are also Democrats. This makes Massachusetts one of 20 states with a Democratic triplex.
Past presidential election results in Massachusetts
How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:
| County-level voting pattern categories | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | |||||||
| Status | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | ||||
| Solid Democratic | D | D | D | ||||
| Trending Democratic | R | D | D | ||||
| Battleground Democratic | D | R | D | ||||
| New Democratic | R | R | D | ||||
| Republican | |||||||
| Status | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | ||||
| Solid Republican | R | R | R | ||||
| Trending Republican | D | R | R | ||||
| Battleground Republican | R | D | R | ||||
| New Republican | D | D | R | ||||
Following the 2020 presidential election, 100.0% of Massachusettsans lived in one of the state's 14 Solid Democratic counties, which voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election from 2012 to 2020. Overall, Massachusetts was Solid Democratic, having voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2012, Hillary Clinton (D) in 2016, and Joe Biden (D) in 2020. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Massachusetts following the 2020 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.
| Massachusetts county-level statistics, 2020 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solid Democratic | 14 | 100.0% | |||||
| Total voted Democratic | 14 | 100.0% | |||||
| Total voted Republican | 0 | 0.0% | |||||
State legislative competitiveness
According to Ballotpedia's annual state legislative competitiveness report, Massachusetts had a Competitiveness Index of 13.1, ranking it 44 of the 44 states that held elections.
- 19 of the 200 seats up for election were open (10%).
- 18 of the 181 incumbents who ran for re-election faced contested primaries (10%).
- 40 of the 200 seats up for election were contested by both major parties (20%).
2010-2024
Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.
| State Legislative Competitiveness Index in Massachusetts, 2010-2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Open seats | Incs. in contested primaries | Major party competition | Competitiveness Index | Rank | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | 17.0% | 8.4% | 48.0% | 24.5 | 39 / 44 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | 5.0% | 10.0% | 33.0% | 16.0 | 44 / 44 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | 11.0% | 9.6% | 38.5% | 19.7 | 39 / 44 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | 6.5% | 10.7% | 23.0% | 13.4 | 44 / 44 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | 12.0% | 11.4% | 30.0% | 17.8 | 44 / 44 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | 7.5% | 12.4% | 21.0% | 13.6 | 44 / 44 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 12.0% | 11.9% | 30.0% | 18.0 | 44 / 44 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | 9.5% | 9.9% | 20.0% | 13.1 | 44 / 44 | |||||||||||||||||||
In 2024
Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents. Click on headings for more state-specific information.
| State Legislative Competitiveness Index in Massachusetts, 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | Open seats | Incs. in contested primaries | Major party competition | Competitiveness Index | ||||||||||||||||||||
| House | 10.0% | 10.4% | 18.1% | 12.8 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Senate | 7.5% | 8.1% | 27.5% | 14.4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 9.5% | 9.9% | 20.0% | 13.1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
List of candidates
| candidate | office | party | status |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Unenrolled | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Unenrolled | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost General | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | office | party | status |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Unenrolled | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Lost Primary | |
 | Democratic | Lost Primary | |
 | Democratic | Lost Primary | |
Democratic | Won General | ||
 Marilyn Petitto Devaney Incumbent | Democratic | Lost Primary | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Lost Primary | |
 | Democratic | Lost Primary | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Unenrolled | Lost General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 Paul DePalo Incumbent | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Won General | ||
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
 | Unenrolled | Lost General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Workers Party | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost General | |
Unenrolled | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Democratic | Won General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost (Write-in) Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Lost Primary | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
 | Republican | Lost General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Lost General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Lost General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Lost General | |
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Lost Primary | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Democratic | Won General | ||
 | Republican | Lost General | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Lost Primary | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
Combat Veteran | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Unenrolled | Lost General | ||
Workers Party | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost General | |
 | Unenrolled | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
Democratic | Lost (Write-in) General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
Unenrolled | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Democratic | Won General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Won General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Lost General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Unenrolled | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Lost Primary | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | All American | Lost General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Lost Primary | |
 | Massachusetts House of Representatives 6th Worcester District (Special election) | Republican | Won General |
Massachusetts House of Representatives 6th Worcester District (Special election) | Unenrolled | Lost (Write-in) General | |
 | Massachusetts House of Representatives 6th Worcester District (Special election) | Unenrolled | Lost (Write-in) General |
| Republican | Won General | |
| Democratic | Lost General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Lost Primary | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
Unenrolled | Lost General | ||
Republican | Won General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost (Write-in) Primary | ||
Unenrolled | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
Unenrolled | Lost General | ||
Unenrolled | Lost General | ||
Unenrolled | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Won General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Lost Primary | |
Forward Party Independent | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Lost General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
Unenrolled | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Won General | ||
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Lost Primary | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Lost Primary | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Unenrolled | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
Republican | Won General | ||
Democratic | Won General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Lost Primary | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost (Write-in) Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
Unenrolled | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost (Write-in) Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Democratic | Won General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 Francisco Paulino Incumbent | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Lost Primary | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Pirate | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Democratic | Won General | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Lost Primary | |
Unenrolled | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
Independent Party | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Massachusetts Great Again | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
Unenrolled | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost (Write-in) General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost (Write-in) Primary | ||
Democratic | Won General | ||
Republican | Lost (Write-in) Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Lost Primary |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | office | party | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Won General | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Won General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Lost Primary | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Suffolk County Register of Probate (Special election) | Democratic | Won General | |
Suffolk County Register of Probate (Special election) | Unenrolled | Lost General |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
See also
Footnotes
