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Massachusetts gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2022

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2026
2018
Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
Ballotpedia Election Coverage Badge.png
Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: June 7, 2022
Primary: September 6, 2022
General: November 8, 2022

Pre-election incumbent(s):
Gov. Charles D. Baker (Republican)
Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting in Massachusetts
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Democratic
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Democratic
Inside Elections: Likely Democratic
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness
State executive elections in 2022
Impact of term limits in 2022
State government trifectas
State government triplexes
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2022
Massachusetts
executive elections
Governor

Lieutenant Governor
Attorney General
Secretary of State
Treasurer
Auditor
Governor's Council (8 seats)

Massachusetts held an election for governor and lieutenant governor on November 8, 2022. The primary was scheduled for September 6, 2022. The filing deadline was June 7, 2022.

This was one of 36 gubernatorial elections that took place place in 2022. The governor serves as a state's top executive official and is the only executive office that is elected in all 50 states. At the time of the 2022 elections, there were 28 Republican governors and 22 Democratic governors. Click here for a map with links to our coverage of all 50 states' responses to the pandemic and here for an overview of all 36 gubernatorial elections that took place in 2022.

Heading into the 2022 elections, there were 23 Republican trifectas, 14 Democratic trifectas, and 13 divided governments where neither party held trifecta control. There were 23 Republican triplexes, 18 Democratic triplexes, and nine divided governments where neither party held triplex control.

A state government trifecta refers to a situation where one party controls a state's governorship and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. A state government triplex refers to a situation where the governor, attorney general, and secretary of state are all members of the same political party.

As a result of the 2022 elections, Democrats gained control of the governorship and retained control of the Massachusetts State Legislature, meaning the state became a Democratic trifecta. Previously, it had a divided government, with a Republican governor and Democratic majorities in both legislative chambers.

For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:

Candidates and election results

Governor

General election

General election for Governor of Massachusetts

Maura Healey defeated Geoff Diehl and Kevin Reed in the general election for Governor of Massachusetts on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Maura Healey
Maura Healey (D)
 
63.7
 
1,584,403
Image of Geoff Diehl
Geoff Diehl (R)
 
34.6
 
859,343
Image of Kevin Reed
Kevin Reed (L)
 
1.6
 
39,244
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
2,806

Total votes: 2,485,796
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Massachusetts

Maura Healey defeated Sonia Chang-Diaz (Unofficially withdrew) in the Democratic primary for Governor of Massachusetts on September 6, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Maura Healey
Maura Healey
 
85.3
 
642,092
Image of Sonia Chang-Diaz
Sonia Chang-Diaz (Unofficially withdrew)
 
14.4
 
108,574
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.3
 
1,972

Total votes: 752,638
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Massachusetts

Geoff Diehl defeated Chris Doughty in the Republican primary for Governor of Massachusetts on September 6, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Geoff Diehl
Geoff Diehl
 
55.3
 
149,800
Image of Chris Doughty
Chris Doughty
 
44.4
 
120,418
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.3
 
769

Total votes: 270,987
Candidate Connection = 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.

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Lieutenant Governor

General election

General election for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts

Kim Driscoll defeated Leah Cole Allen and Peter Everett in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Kim Driscoll
Kim Driscoll (D) Candidate Connection
 
63.7
 
1,584,403
Image of Leah Cole Allen
Leah Cole Allen (R)
 
34.6
 
859,343
Peter Everett (L)
 
1.6
 
39,244
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
2,806

Total votes: 2,485,796
Candidate Connection = 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.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts

Kim Driscoll defeated Eric Lesser and Tami Gouveia in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts on September 6, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Kim Driscoll
Kim Driscoll Candidate Connection
 
46.6
 
332,712
Image of Eric Lesser
Eric Lesser
 
32.7
 
233,241
Image of Tami Gouveia
Tami Gouveia Candidate Connection
 
20.6
 
147,224
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.2
 
1,094

Total votes: 714,271
Candidate Connection = 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.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts

Leah Cole Allen defeated Kate Campanale in the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts on September 6, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Leah Cole Allen
Leah Cole Allen
 
52.1
 
130,962
Image of Kate Campanale
Kate Campanale
 
47.6
 
119,516
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.3
 
759

Total votes: 251,237
Candidate Connection = 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.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Election competitiveness

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

  • Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
  • Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
  • Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[1]
  • Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[2][3][4]

Race ratings: Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 2022
Race trackerRace ratings
November 8, 2022November 1, 2022October 25, 2022October 18, 2022
The Cook Political Report with Amy WalterSolid DemocraticSolid DemocraticSolid DemocraticSolid Democratic
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesLikely DemocraticLikely DemocraticLikely DemocraticLikely Democratic
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallSafe DemocraticSafe DemocraticSafe DemocraticSafe Democratic
Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week.


Republican-held governorship in state Biden won

See also: States won by Joe Biden in 2020 with Republican-held governorships up for election in 2022

This is one of six governorships Republicans were defending in states President Joe Biden (D) won in 2020: Arizona, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

Democrats were defending one governorship in a state that Donald Trump (R) won in 2020: Kansas.

The table below show which states held gubernatorial elections in 2022 and the last presidential and gubernatorial margin of victory in each. Click [show] on the right below to expand the table.


Ballot access requirements

The table below details filing requirements for gubernatorial candidates in Massachusetts in the 2022 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Massachusetts, click here.

Filing requirements for gubernatorial candidates, 2022
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source Notes
Massachusetts Governor Ballot-qualified party 10,000 N/A 6/7/2022 Source
Massachusetts Governor Unaffiliated 10,000 N/A 8/30/2022 Source


Voting information

See also: Voting in Massachusetts

Election information in Massachusetts: Nov. 8, 2022, election.

What was the voter registration deadline?

  • In-person: Oct. 29, 2022
  • By mail: Postmarked by Oct. 29, 2022
  • Online: Oct. 29, 2022

Was absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

Yes

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

  • In-person: Nov. 1, 2022
  • By mail: Received by Nov. 1, 2022
  • Online: N/A

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

  • In-person: Nov. 8, 2022
  • By mail: Received by Nov. 8, 2022

Was early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What were the early voting start and end dates?

Oct. 22, 2022 to Nov. 4, 2022

Were all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, was a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When were polls open on Election Day?

N/A


Past elections

2018

See also: Massachusetts gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018

Governor

General election

General election for Governor of Massachusetts

Incumbent Charles D. Baker defeated Jay Gonzalez in the general election for Governor of Massachusetts on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Charles D. Baker
Charles D. Baker (R)
 
64.7
 
1,781,341
Image of Jay Gonzalez
Jay Gonzalez (D)
 
32.2
 
885,770
 Other/Write-in votes
 
3.1
 
85,554

Total votes: 2,752,665
(100.00% precincts reporting)
Candidate Connection = 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.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Massachusetts

Jay Gonzalez defeated Robert Massie in the Democratic primary for Governor of Massachusetts on September 4, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jay Gonzalez
Jay Gonzalez
 
64.4
 
348,434
Robert Massie
 
35.6
 
192,404

Total votes: 540,838
Candidate Connection = 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.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Massachusetts

Incumbent Charles D. Baker defeated Scott Lively in the Republican primary for Governor of Massachusetts on September 4, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Charles D. Baker
Charles D. Baker
 
63.9
 
174,126
Image of Scott Lively
Scott Lively
 
36.1
 
98,421

Total votes: 272,547
Candidate Connection = 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.

Lieutenant governor

General election

General election for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts

Incumbent Karyn Polito defeated Quentin Palfrey in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Karyn Polito
Karyn Polito (R)
 
64.7
 
1,781,341
Image of Quentin Palfrey
Quentin Palfrey (D)
 
32.2
 
885,770
 Other/Write-in votes
 
3.1
 
85,554

Total votes: 2,752,665
Candidate Connection = 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.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts

Quentin Palfrey defeated Jimmy Tingle in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts on September 4, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Quentin Palfrey
Quentin Palfrey
 
58.9
 
307,240
Image of Jimmy Tingle
Jimmy Tingle
 
41.1
 
214,204

Total votes: 521,444
Candidate Connection = 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.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts

Incumbent Karyn Polito advanced from the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts on September 4, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Karyn Polito
Karyn Polito
 
100.0
 
204,914

Total votes: 204,914
Candidate Connection = 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.

2014

See also: Massachusetts gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2014
Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngCharles D. Baker/Karyn Polito 48.4% 1,044,573
     Democratic Martha Coakley/Steve Kerrigan 46.5% 1,004,408
     United Independent Evan Falchuk/Angus Jennings 3.3% 71,814
     Independent Scott Lively/Shelly Saunders 0.9% 19,378
     Independent Jeffrey McCormick/Tracy Post 0.8% 16,295
     Nonpartisan Write-in votes 0.1% 1,858
Total Votes 2,158,326
Election results via Massachusetts Secretary of State


Election analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.

  • Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
  • Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
  • State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
  • Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.

Presidential elections

See also: Presidential voting trends in Massachusetts and The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Cook PVI by congressional district

Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index for Massachusetts, 2022
District Incumbent Party PVI
Massachusetts' 1st Richard Neal Electiondot.png Democratic D+9
Massachusetts' 2nd Jim McGovern Electiondot.png Democratic D+13
Massachusetts' 3rd Lori Trahan Electiondot.png Democratic D+11
Massachusetts' 4th Jake Auchincloss Electiondot.png Democratic D+12
Massachusetts' 5th Katherine Clark Electiondot.png Democratic D+23
Massachusetts' 6th Seth Moulton Electiondot.png Democratic D+11
Massachusetts' 7th Ayanna Pressley Electiondot.png Democratic D+35
Massachusetts' 8th Stephen Lynch Electiondot.png Democratic D+15
Massachusetts' 9th Bill Keating Electiondot.png Democratic D+6


2020 presidential results by 2022 congressional district lines

2020 presidential results in congressional districts based on 2022 district lines, Massachusetts[6]
District Joe Biden Democratic Party Donald Trump Republican Party
Massachusetts' 1st 59.8% 38.2%
Massachusetts' 2nd 64.3% 33.5%
Massachusetts' 3rd 62.7% 35.3%
Massachusetts' 4th 63.3% 34.8%
Massachusetts' 5th 74.8% 23.6%
Massachusetts' 6th 62.9% 35.3%
Massachusetts' 7th 85.5% 13.1%
Massachusetts' 8th 66.9% 31.4%
Massachusetts' 9th 58.2% 40.0%


2012-2020

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:


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.

Historical voting trends

Massachusetts presidential election results (1900-2020)

  • 21 Democratic wins
  • 10 Republican wins
Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020
Winning Party R R R D R R R D D D D D D R R D D D D D R R D D D D D D D D D

Statewide elections

This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.

U.S. Senate elections

See also: List of United States Senators from Massachusetts

The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Massachusetts.

U.S. Senate election results in Massachusetts
Race Winner Runner up
2020 66.2%Democratic Party 33.0%Republican Party
2018 60.4%Democratic Party 36.2%Republican Party
2014 62.0%Democratic Party 38.0%Republican Party
2013 54.8%Democratic Party 44.8%Republican Party
2012 53.7%Democratic Party 46.3%Republican Party
Average 59.4 39.7

Gubernatorial elections

See also: Governor of Massachusetts

The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Massachusetts.

Gubernatorial election results in Massachusetts
Race Winner Runner up
2018 64.7%Republican Party 32.2%Democratic Party
2014 48.4%Republican Party 46.5%Democratic Party
2010 48.4%Democratic Party 42.0%Republican Party
2006 55.6%Democratic Party 35.3%Republican Party
2002 49.8%Republican Party 44.9%Democratic Party
Average 53.8 40.4

State partisanship

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Massachusetts' congressional delegation as of November 2022.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Massachusetts, November 2022
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 2 9 11
Republican 0 0 0
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 0 0
Total 2 9 11

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Massachusetts' top four state executive offices as of November 2022.

State executive officials in Massachusetts, November 2022
Office Officeholder
Governor Republican Party Charles D. Baker
Lieutenant Governor Republican Party Karyn Polito
Secretary of State Democratic Party William Galvin
Attorney General Democratic Party Maura Healey

State legislature

The tables below highlight the partisan composition of the Massachusetts General Court as of November 2022.

Massachusetts State Senate

Party As of November 2022
     Democratic Party 36
     Republican Party 3
     Vacancies 1
Total 40

Massachusetts House of Representatives

Party As of November 2022
     Democratic Party 125
     Republican Party 27
     Independent 1
     Vacancies 7
Total 160

Trifecta control

As of November 2022, Massachusetts was a divided government, with Democrats controlling the governorship and Republican majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. The table below displays the historical trifecta status of the state.

Massachusetts Party Control: 1992-2022
Eight years of Democratic trifectas  •  No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
Governor R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R
Senate D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D
House D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D

Demographics

The table below details demographic data in Massachusetts and compares it to the broader United States as of 2019.

Demographic Data for Massachusetts
Massachusetts United States
Population 7,029,917 331,449,281
Land area (sq mi) 7,800 3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White 76.6% 70.4%
Black/African American 7.5% 12.6%
Asian 6.8% 5.6%
Native American 0.2% 0.8%
Pacific Islander 0% 0.2%
Other (single race) 4.2% 5.1%
Multiple 4.8% 5.2%
Hispanic/Latino 12% 18.2%
Education
High school graduation rate 91.1% 88.5%
College graduation rate 44.5% 32.9%
Income
Median household income $84,385 $64,994
Persons below poverty level 9.8% 12.8%
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2015-2020).
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.


See also

Massachusetts State Executive Elections News and Analysis
Seal of Massachusetts.png
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Massachusetts State Executive Offices
Massachusetts State Legislature
Massachusetts Courts
2025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Massachusetts elections: 2025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Party control of state government
State government trifectas
State of the state addresses
Partisan composition of governors

External links

Footnotes

  1. Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  2. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  3. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  4. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
  5. 2020 election for New Hampshire and Vermont.
  6. Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' presidential results by congressional district for 2020, 2016, and 2012," accessed September 9, 2022