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Republican Party primaries in Massachusetts, 2018

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Republican Party primaries, 2018
Massachusetts Republican Party.png
Primary Date
September 4, 2018
Federal elections
Republican primary for U.S. Senate
Republican primaries for U.S. House
State elections
Republican primaries for Massachusetts legislature
Republican primary for governor
Republican primary for lieutenant governor
Republican primary for attorney general
Republican primary for secretary of state
State party
Republican Party of Massachusetts
State political party revenue

Primary elections—in which registered voters select a candidate whom they believe should run on the party's ticket in the general election—can reflect internal conflict over the direction of a party.

Heading into the 2018 election, the Republican Party's legislative record during Donald Trump’s presidency figured into several Republican primaries. This record included the passage of major tax legislation in December 2017 and the confirmation of federal judges. It also included a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill in March 2018, which Trump opposed, and unsuccessful efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.[1][2]

Trump, himself, also played a role in Republican primaries. His approval rating reached 90% in June among self-described Republicans, according to a Gallup survey.[3] Many Republican candidates campaigned on their support for Trump, and negative ads accusing opponents of criticizing the president were common.[4][5][6] A May report found Trump's name or image had appeared in 37% of all Republican campaign ads at that point in 2018.[7]

This page concerns the 2018 Republican primary elections in Massachusetts. In addition, the page provides context for understanding the state party apparatus.


Federal elections

U.S. Senate

See also: United States Senate election in Massachusetts (September 4, 2018 Republican primary)
With incumbent Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D) already the subject of opposition spending in 2017, the Republican primary could become contentious as candidates seek to take advantage of the national spotlight on Warren to try to flip the Democratic stronghold. As of October 10, 2017, more than $230,000 had been spent on opposition ads and direct mail campaigns against Warren by organizations independent of the campaigns.[8]

"I’ve got some connections with [Donald Trump's] team that I made friends with and are loyal in a campaign-related way. I think the president himself sees the senior senator as a major obstacle to a lot of what he wants to do,” said Republican candidate and state Rep. Geoff Diehl.[9]

To see a full list of candidates in the Republican primary, click "Show more" below.
Show more
Republican Party Republican primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:

U.S. House

See also: United States House elections in Massachusetts (2018 Republican primaries)
The 2018 U.S. House of Representatives elections in Massachusetts took place on November 6, 2018. Voters elected nine candidates to serve in the U.S. House, one from each of the state's nine congressional districts. In 2017, the NRCC identified Massachusetts' 9th Congressional District as a targeted race. To see a full list of candidates in the Republican primaries, click "Show more" below.
Show more

District 1

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

District 2

Republican Party Republican primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:

District 3

Republican Party Republican primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:

District 4

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

District 5

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 6

Republican Party Republican primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:

District 7

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

District 8

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

District 9

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

State elections

Massachusetts Party Control: 1992-2024
Ten 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 23 24
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 D D
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 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 D D

Gubernatorial election

See also: Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 2018 (September 4 Republican primary)
See also: Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 2018 (September 4 Republican primary)

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

Lieutenant gubernatorial election

See also: Massachusetts lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (September 4 Republican primary)

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

Attorney general election

See also: Massachusetts Attorney General election, (September 4 Republican primary)

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

Secretary of state election

See also: Massachusetts Secretary of State election, (September 4 Republican primary)

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

State party overview

See also: Republican Party of Massachusetts
Massachusetts Republican Party.png


State political party revenue

See also: State political party revenue and State political party revenue per capita

State political parties typically deposit revenue in separate state and federal accounts in order to comply with state and federal campaign finance laws. The following table displays the Republican Party of Massachusetts' revenue over a six-year period from 2011 to 2016. Revenue totals are broken down by account type and year. The data was compiled through publicly available state and federal campaign finance reports.

Republican Party of Massachusetts revenue, 2011 to 2016[10][11]
Year Federal account State account(s) Total
2011 $777,689.48 $73,435.30 $851,124.78
2012 $16,100,869.01 $188,322.60 $16,289,191.61
2013 $2,226,252.31 $336,006.71 $2,562,259.02
2014 $3,564,719.08 $2,600,377.62 $6,165,096.70
2015 $1,472,659.08 $292,945.15 $1,765,604.23
2016 $1,463,096.37 $1,123,728.35 $2,586,824.72

Massachusetts compared to other states

The Democratic Party and the Republican Party maintain state affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and select U.S. territories. The following maps display total state political party revenue per capita for the Democratic and Republican state party affiliates from 2011 to 2016. The blue map displays Democratic state parties and the red map displays Republican state parties. Click on a state below to view the state party's revenue per capita totals:

Total Democratic and Republican state political party revenue per capita in the United States, 2011-2016

Primary election scheduling

Massachusetts was the only state to hold a primary election on September 4, 2018.

Voter information

How the primary works

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Massachusetts utilizes a semi-closed primary system. An unaffiliated voter is allowed to vote in the primary election of his or her choice.[12][13]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll times

In Massachusetts, most polling places are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. However, municipalities may open their polls as early as 5:45 a.m. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[14]

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in Massachusetts, one must be a United States citizen, a resident of Massachusetts, and at least 18 years old on or before Election Day.[15]

The deadline for registration is 10 days prior to the election. A voter can register online, by mail, or in person at any registration office or the Registry of Motor Vehicles. A form of identification is required to register. The following are acceptable forms of identification:[15]

  • Valid driver's license
  • State-issued identification card
  • Current utility bill
  • Bank statement
  • Paystub
  • Government-issued check
  • Any other government document displaying the voter's name and address

Automatic registration

Massachusetts automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles, division of medical assistance, health insurance connector authority, and other agencies that collect what state law defines as reliable citizenship information.[16]

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Massachusetts has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.[17]

Same-day registration

Massachusetts does not allow same-day voter registration.[17]

Residency requirements

To register to vote in Massachusetts, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.[15]

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Massachusetts does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, the penalty for an illegal registration is a "fine of not more than $10,000 or imprisonment for not more than five years or both."[18]

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[19] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The Elections and Voting page, run by the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.


Voter ID requirements

Massachusetts does not require voters to present identification (ID) while voting, in most cases.[20]

However, voters will be asked to show ID in the following circumstances:

“
  • You are voting for the first time in Massachusetts in a federal election;
  • You are an inactive voter;
  • You are casting a provisional or challenged ballot;
  • The poll worker has a reasonable suspicion that leads them to request identification.[20][21]
 ”

The following list of accepted ID was current as of August 2024:

  • A driver's license
  • A state ID card
  • A recent utility bill
  • A rent receipt or lease.
  • A copy of a voter registration affidavit
  • A letter from a school dormitory or housing office
  • Any other printed identification which contains your name and address

Click here for the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

“ Acceptable identification must include your name and the address at which you are registered to vote. Examples of acceptable identification include: a driver's license, state-issued ID card, recent utility bill, rent receipt, lease, a copy of a voter registration affidavit, or any other printed identification which contains the voter's name and address.[21] ”

Early voting

Massachusetts permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.

Absentee voting

Any eligible voter has the option to vote by absentee/mail-in ballot in all elections.[22]


Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

There are no Pivot Counties in Massachusetts. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) won Massachusetts with 60 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 32.8 percent. In presidential elections between 1789 and 2016, Massachusetts voted Republican 36.2 percent of the time and Democratic 34.4 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Massachusetts voted Democratic all five times.[23]

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Massachusetts. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[24][25]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 135 out of 160 state House districts in Massachusetts with an average margin of victory of 31.6 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 141 out of 160 state House districts in Massachusetts with an average margin of victory of 34.1 points. Clinton won 21 districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 25 out of 160 state House districts in Massachusetts with an average margin of victory of 4.1 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 19 out of 160 state House districts in Massachusetts with an average margin of victory of 5.5 points. Trump won five districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.

See also

Federal primaries in Massachusetts State primaries in Massachusetts Massachusetts state party apparatus Massachusetts voter information
CongressLogo.png
Flag of Massachusetts.png
Seal of Massachusetts.png
Election Policy Logo.png

Footnotes

  1. ↑ ‘’National Review’’, “Trump Is Not Blameless in the Spending-Bill Disaster,” March 28, 2018
  2. ↑ The New York Times, "A New Guide to the Republican Herd," August 26, 2012
  3. ↑ Gallup, "Trump Job Approval Slips Back to 41%," June 25, 2018
  4. ↑ Daily Commercial, "Trump hurdle looms large in Florida GOP governor primary," July 30, 2018
  5. ↑ Daily Commercial, "These 2018 Primaries Are Worth Watching," July 25, 2018
  6. ↑ Washington Post, "Republican primary candidates have one goal: Securing Trump’s endorsement or denying it to an opponent," July 25, 2018
  7. ↑ USA Today, "Donald Trump once divided Republicans; ads for midterms signal that's no longer true," May 17, 2018
  8. ↑ FEC.gov, "2018 Senate Independent Expenditure," accessed October 10, 2017
  9. ↑ The Boston Herald, "Geoff Diehl expects Trump to target Elizabeth Warren in 2018," March 22, 2017
  10. ↑ The Massachusetts Office of Campaign & Political Finance, "View Reports," accessed May 2016 (Search terms Republican State Committee and Democratic State Committee)
  11. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Candidate and Committee Viewer," accessed May 2016 (Search terms Massachusetts Republican Party and Massachusetts Democratic State Committee - Fed Fund)
  12. ↑ NCSL, "State Primary Election Types," accessed October 3, 2024
  13. ↑ Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "How to Vote in a Primary," accessed October 3, 2024
  14. ↑ Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "The Voting Process," accessed April 13, 2023
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Voter Registration Information," accessed April 13, 2023
  16. ↑ Governing, “Automatic Voter Registration Gains Bipartisan Momentum,” accessed April 13, 2023
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 NCSL, "State Profiles: Elections," accessed August 26, 2024
  18. ↑ Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Massachusetts Official Mail-in Voter Registration Form," accessed November 1, 2024
  19. ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Identification Requirements," accessed April 13, 2023
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  22. ↑ Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Voting by Mail," accessed July 18, 2022
  23. ↑ 270towin.com, "Massachusetts," accessed June 29, 2017
  24. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  25. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
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Party primaries by state, 2018
Republican primaries, 2018
Democratic primaries, 2018
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