This Giving Tuesday, help ensure voters have the information they need to make confident, informed decisions. Donate now!

Massachusetts state legislative special elections, 2026

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Ballotpedia Election Coverage Badge-smaller use.png
U.S. Senate • U.S. House • Governor • Lt. Gov • Attorney General • Secretary of State • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • Special state legislative • State ballot measures • How to run for office
Flag of Massachusetts.png


← 2025
SLP badge.png
2026 State Legislative
Special Elections
Special Elections Information
Causes • Partisan control • Elections by date • Historical data
Special elections by state

Alabama • Arkansas • Colorado • Connecticut • Florida • Louisiana • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Oklahoma • South Carolina • Texas

Other 2026 Election coverage
Filing deadlines • Statewide elections
State legislative elections
Gubernatorial elections • Ballot measures

As of December, one special election has been called to fill a vacant seat in the Massachusetts General Court.

Click here to read more about the special elections.

Senate special elections called:

How vacancies are filled in Massachusetts


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.[1] Local governments that conduct special elections can receive reimbursement from the state treasurer's office for costs incurred.[2][3]

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


About the legislature

The Massachusetts General Court (formally styled, The Great and General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts) is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the Colonial Era, when this body also sat in judgment of judicial appeals cases. Before the adoption of the state constitution in 1780, it was called the "Great and General Court," but the official title was shortened by John Adams, author of the constitution. It is a bicameral body. The upper house is the Massachusetts State Senate which is composed of 40 members. The lower body, the Massachusetts House of Representatives, has 160 members. Before 1978, it had 240 members.[4] The General Court was established in 1630 when the Massachusetts Bay Colony obtained a new charter. It meets in the Massachusetts State House in Boston, Massachusetts.

The boxes below show the partisan composition of both chambers directly before and after the most recent general elections prior to 2026. For the most up-to-date numbers on partisan composition in this legislature, see here (Senate) and here (House).

Massachusetts State Senate
Party As of November 5, 2024 After November 6, 2024
     Democratic Party 36 35
     Republican Party 4 5
Total 40 40


Massachusetts House of Representatives
Party As of November 5, 2024 After November 6, 2024
     Democratic Party 132 133
     Republican Party 24 25
     Independent 1 0
     Vacancy 3 1
Total 160 160

Special elections

Click [show] to the right of the district name for more information:

March 3, 2026

Historical data

There were 1,007 state legislative special elections that took place from 2010 to 2024. Massachusetts held 52 special elections during the same time period. The largest number of special elections in Massachusetts took place in 2013 when eight special elections were held.

The table below details how many state legislative special elections were held in a state in a given year.

Special elections throughout the country

See also: State legislative special elections, 2026

As of December 2025, 20 state legislative special elections have been scheduled for 2026 in 12 states. Between 2011 and 2024, an average of 70 special elections took place each year.

Breakdown of 2026 special elections

In 2026, special elections for state legislative positions are being held for the following reasons:

  • 8 due to appointment, election, or the seeking of election to another position
  • 10 due to resignation
  • 2 due to the death of the incumbent

Impact of special elections on partisan composition

The partisan breakdown for the special elections is as follows:

As of December 3rd, 2025, Republicans controlled 55.32% of all state legislative seats nationally, while Democrats held 43.49%. Republicans held a majority in 57 chambers, and Democrats held the majority in 39 chambers. Two chambers (Alaska House and Alaska Senate) were organized under multipartisan, power-sharing coalitions. One chamber (Minnesota House of Representatives) was split evenly between both parties.

Partisan balance of all 7,386 state legislative seats
Legislative chamber Democratic Party Republican Party Grey.png Other Vacant
State senates 827 1,120 6 20
State houses 2,385 2,966 21 41
Total: 3,212

4,086

27

61


The table below details how many seats changed parties as the result of a special election in 2026. The number on the left reflects how many vacant seats were originally held by each party, while the number on the right shows how many vacant seats each party won in the special elections.

Note: This table reflects information for elections that have been held and not the total number of vacant seats.

Partisan Change from Special Elections (2026)
Party As of Special Election After Special Election
     Democratic Party 9 0
     Republican Party 11 0
     Independent 0 0
Total 20 0

Flipped seats

In 2026, as of December, no seats flipped as a result of state legislative special elections.


See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Massachusetts General Court, "General Laws," accessed February 12, 2021 (Section Chapter 50, Section 6A)
  2. ↑ Massachusetts General Court, "General Laws," accessed February 12, 2021 (Section Chapter 3: Section 10A)
  3. ↑ Massachusetts General Court, "General Laws," accessed February 12, 2021 (Section Chapter 54: Section 141)
  4. ↑ Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, "Massachusetts Constitution," accessed February 12, 2021
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Lowell Sun, "Special election dates set for 1st Middlesex Senate District," October 20, 2025
v • e
State legislatures
Legislatures
Alabama (H, S) · Alaska (H, S) · Arizona (H, S) · Arkansas (H, S) · California (A, S) · Colorado (H, S) · Connecticut (H, S) · Delaware (H, S) · Florida (H, S) · Georgia (H, S) · Hawaii (H, S) · Idaho (H, S) · Illinois (H, S) · Indiana (H, S) · Iowa (H, S) · Kansas (H, S) · Kentucky (H, S) · Louisiana (H, S) · Maine (H, S) · Maryland (H, S) · Massachusetts (H, S) · Michigan (H, S) · Minnesota (H, S) · Mississippi (H, S) · Missouri (H, S) · Montana (H, S) · Nebraska · Nevada (A, S) · New Hampshire (H, S) · New Jersey (GA, S) · New Mexico (H, S) · New York (A, S) · North Carolina (H, S) · North Dakota (H, S) · Ohio (H, S) · Oklahoma (H, S) · Oregon (H, S) · Pennsylvania (H, S) · Rhode Island (H, S) · South Carolina (H, S) · South Dakota (H, S) · Tennessee (H, S) · Texas (H, S) · Utah (H, S) · Vermont (H, S) · Virginia (H, S) · Washington (H, S) · West Virginia (H, S) · Wisconsin (A, S) · Wyoming (H, S)
SLP badge.png
2026
2025
2024
2023
Historical elections
2022 •  2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010 • 2009 • 2008 • 2007 • 2006 • 2005 • 2004 • 2003 • 2002 • 2001 • 2000
Features of
state legislatures
State senates
State houses
Leadership positions
Flag of Massachusetts
v • e
State of Massachusetts
Boston (capital)
Elections

What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures

Government

Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy

Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Massachusetts_state_legislative_special_elections,_2026&oldid=10554307"