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Massachusetts House of Representatives elections, 2026

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2026 Massachusetts
House Elections
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PrimaryPending
GeneralNovember 3, 2026
2026 Elections
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Elections for the Massachusetts House of Representatives will take place in 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026.

The Massachusetts House of Representatives is one of 88 state legislative chambers with elections in 2026. There are 99 chambers throughout the country.

Party control

See also: Partisan composition of state houses and State government trifectas
Party As of March 2025
     Democratic Party 132
     Republican Party 25
     Independent 0
     Vacancies 2
Total 160

Candidates

Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:

  • Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
  • Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies

This list will be updated after the candidate filing deadline has passed and the official list of candidates becomes available. Please contact us if you notice an official candidate missing from the list or the inclusion of a candidate who withdrew.

Primary

General election

Voting information

See also: Voting in Massachusetts

Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.

Competitiveness

This section will be updated with information about the competitiveness of state legislative elections in Massachusetts. For more information about Ballotpedia's Competitiveness Analysis of state legislative elections, please click here.

Process to become a candidate

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Massachusetts

DocumentIcon.jpg See statutes: Massachusetts General Laws, Part I, Title VIII, Chapter 53

For party candidates

Recognized political party candidates seeking access to the primary election ballot must submit nomination papers. Nomination papers are provided by the Secretary of the Commonwealth. Nomination papers must be signed by a certain number of registered voters. The number of required signatures varies according to the office being sought.[1][2]

Required signatures for nomination papers
Office Required signatures
Governor, Attorney General, United States Senator 10,000
Secretary of the Commonwealth, Treasurer, Auditor 5,000
United States Representative 2,000
State Senator 300
State Representative 150

A candidate must be an enrolled member of the party whose nomination he or she is seeking; with the exception of newly registered voters, the candidate must be enrolled throughout the 90-day period preceding the filing deadline. An individual cannot be a candidate for nomination by one party if he or she was enrolled in any other party during the one-year period preceding the filing deadline. A candidate must prove party affiliation by filing with the Secretary of the Commonwealth a certificate of party enrollment signed or stamped by at least three local election officials of the city or town where the candidate is registered. At least one such certificate (which is included on the nomination papers discussed below) must be completed and filed by the filing deadline.[1][3]

Before filing nomination papers, the candidate must make sure that at least one of the certified nomination papers contains a written acceptance of nomination personally signed by either the candidate or his or her authorized attorney. Although the candidate does not have to sign the acceptance space on all nomination papers, the candidate should sign several certified papers to ensure that one of the papers ultimately filed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth will include the written acceptance.[1][4]

For the nomination papers to be valid, a candidate for state-level office must also file a receipt from the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission indicating that he or she has filed a statement of financial interest (federal candidates are exempt from this requirement). The receipt must be filed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth by the filing deadline. Prior to the filing deadline, a state-level candidate must file a written statement with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance indicating whether the candidate agrees to limit campaign spending. A candidate who does not agree to limit spending may be required to file an additional statement of intended spending prior to the deadline for filing withdrawals of nomination.[1][4]

Nomination papers must be submitted to the registrars of the cities or towns in which signatures were collected for certification prior to final filing with the Secretary of the Commonwealth.[1][5]

For non-party candidates

Like party candidates, independents and other non-party candidates gain access to the general election ballot by filing nomination papers. A non-party candidate must file a certificate proving that he or she is a registered voter and is not enrolled in a recognized political party. This certificate is printed on each nomination paper, and at least one of these certificates must be signed and stamped by at least three local elections officials of the city or town where the candidate is registered.[1]

A non-party candidate may state a political designation in no more than three words. Signature requirements are the same as those that apply to party candidates.[1]

Required signatures for nomination papers
Office Required signatures
Governor, Attorney General, United States Senator 10,000
Secretary of the Commonwealth, Treasurer, Auditor 5,000
United States Representative 2,000
State Senator 300
State Representative 150

Before filing nomination papers, the candidate must make sure that at least one of the certified nomination papers contains a written acceptance of nomination personally signed by either the candidate or his or her authorized attorney. Although the candidate does not have to sign the acceptance space on all nomination papers, the candidate should sign several certified papers to ensure that one of the papers ultimately filed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth will include the written acceptance.[1]

For the nomination papers to be valid, a candidate for state-level office must also file a receipt from the State Ethics Commission indicating that he or she has filed a statement of financial interest (federal candidates are exempt from this requirement). The receipt must be filed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth by the filing deadline. Prior to the filing deadline, a state-level candidate must file a written statement with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance indicating whether the candidate agrees to limit campaign spending. A candidate who does not agree to limit spending may be required to file an additional statement of intended spending prior to the deadline for filing withdrawals of nomination.[1][4]

Nomination papers must be submitted to the registrars of the cities or towns in which signatures were collected for certification prior to final filing with the Secretary of the Commonwealth.[1][5]

For write-in candidates

An individual is entitled to seek nomination or election by conducting a write-in campaign. No special forms (such as a declaration of intent) are required, but write-in candidates should familiarize themselves with the rules and guidelines that govern the casting of write-in votes. More information about write-in candidacies can be accessed here.[6]

Filing deadlines

Filing deadlines vary according to the type of candidate (i.e., party or non-party) and the office being sought. The table below summarizes the various filing deadlines established by statute.[7][3][8]

Filing deadlines
Type of candidate and office sought Deadline for certification with local officials Final filing deadline
Party and non-party candidates for the Massachusetts General Court 5:00 p.m. on the 28th day preceding the final filing deadline[5] 5:00 p.m. on the last Tuesday in May in the year the election is to be held
Party candidates for federal and statewide office 5:00 p.m. on the 28th day preceding the final filing deadline[5] 5:00 p.m. on the first Tuesday in June in the year the election is to be held
Non-party candidates for federal and statewide office 5:00 p.m. on the 28th day preceding the final filing deadline[5] 5:00 p.m. on the last Tuesday in August in the year the election is to be held

Qualifications

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

Article LXXI of the Massachusetts Constitution states: Every representative, for one year at least immediately preceding his election, shall have been an inhabitant of the district for which he is chosen and shall cease to represent such district when he shall cease to be an inhabitant of the commonwealth.

Salaries and per diem

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
State legislative salaries, 2024[9]
SalaryPer diem
$73,655.01/yearNo per diem is paid.

When sworn in

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

Massachusetts legislators assume office the first Wednesday in January after the election.[10]

Massachusetts political history

Trifectas

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.

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

Presidential politics in Massachusetts

2024

See also: Presidential election, 2024

Ballotpedia Logo

There were no incumbents in this race The results have been certified.

Total votes: 3,473,668

2020

See also: Presidential election, 2020

Ballotpedia Logo

Incumbents are bolded and underlined The results have been certified.

Total votes: 3,631,402

2016

See also: Presidential election, 2016
U.S. presidential election, Massachusetts, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes Electoral votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngHillary Clinton/Tim Kaine 60% 1,995,196 11
     Republican Donald Trump/Mike Pence 32.8% 1,090,893 0
     Libertarian Gary Johnson/Bill Weld 4.2% 138,018 0
     Green Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka 1.4% 47,661 0
     - Write-in/other 1.6% 53,278 0
Total Votes 3,325,046 11
Election results via: Massachusetts Secretary of State


Massachusetts presidential election results (1900-2024)

  • 22 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 2024
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 D

Redistricting following the 2020 census

Gov. Charlie Baker (R) signed the state's new legislative maps into law on November 4, 2021.[11] 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.[12] These maps took effect for Massachusetts' 2022 legislative elections.

See also

Massachusetts State Legislative Elections News and Analysis

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Massachusetts State Executive Offices Massachusetts State Legislature Massachusetts Courts 2023202220212020
201920182017201620152014 Massachusetts elections: 202320222021202020192018201720162015
Party control of state government State government trifectas Partisan composition of state legislatures Partisan composition of state senates Partisan composition of state houses

External links

Footnotes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "A Candidate's Guide to the 2014 State Election," revised January 2014
  2. Massachusetts General Laws, "Part I, Title VIII, Chapter 53, Section 6," accessed March 18, 2014
  3. 3.0 3.1 Massachusetts General Laws, "Part I, Title VIII, Chapter 53, Section 48," accessed March 18, 2014
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Massachusetts General Laws, "Part I, Title VIII, Chapter 53, Section 9," accessed March 18, 2014
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Massachusetts General Laws, "Part I, Title VIII, Chapter 53, Section 46," accessed March 18, 2014
  6. Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "How to Run for Office as a Write-in or Sticker Candidate," accessed March 18, 2014
  7. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named macalendar
  8. Massachusetts General Laws, "Part I, Title VIII, Chapter 53, Section 10," accessed March 18, 2014
  9. National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
  10. Massachusetts Constitution, "Article LXXXII," accessed February 12, 2021
  11. MassLive, "As Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker OKs new districts, Secretary of State William Galvin warns of chaos," November 4, 2021
  12. Boston Globe, "Lawmakers poised to send new political maps, increasing number of majority-minority districts, to Baker," October 27, 2021

Leadership

Speaker of the House:Ronald Mariano

Majority Leader:Michael Moran

Representatives

Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket District

Democratic Party (132)

Republican Party (25)

Unenrolled (1)

Vacancies (2)

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