Massachusetts Senate
The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the state. All but one of the districts are named for the counties in which they are located (the "Cape and Islands" district covers Dukes, Nantucket, and parts of Barnstable counties). Senators serve two-year terms, without term limits.[1] The Senate convenes in the Massachusetts State House, in Boston.
The current session is the 190th General Court, which convened January 4, 2017. It consists of 31 Democrats and 7 Republicans, with two vacancies.[2] The President of the Senate is Karen E. Spilka of Ashland. The Senate Minority Leader, from the Republican Party, is Bruce Tarr of Gloucester. The last state general election was on November 8, 2016.
Contents
1 Recent party control
2 Current leadership
3 Current members
4 Past composition of the Senate
5 See also
6 Notes
7 References
8 Further reading
9 External links
Recent party control
Democrats hold a supermajority in the Senate.
Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Republican | Vacant | ||
Start of 189th General Court | 34 | 6 | 40 | 0 |
June 25, 2016[3] | 33 | 39 | 1 | |
November 10, 2015[4] | 34 | 40 | 0 | |
January 4, 2016[5] | 5 | 39 | 1 | |
January 21, 2016[6] | 33 | 38 | 2 | |
May 18, 2016[7] | 34 | 6 | 40 | 0 |
Start of 190th General Court | 34 | 6 | 40 | 0 |
April 2, 2017[8] | 33 | 39 | 1 | |
April 17, 2017[9] | 32 | 38 | 2 | |
July 26, 2017[10] | 33 | 39 | 1 | |
August 31, 2017[11] | 32 | 38 | 2 | |
October 17, 2017[12] | 33 | 39 | 1 | |
December 5, 2017[13] | 7 | 40 | 0 | |
January 3, 2018[14] | 32 | 39 | 1 | |
January 26, 2018[15] | 31 | 38 | 2 | |
March 6, 2018[16] | 32 | 39 | 1 | |
April 11, 2018[17] | 31 | 38 | 2 | |
May 1, 2018[18] | 32 | 39 | 1 | |
May 4, 2018[19] | 31 | 38 | 2 | |
Latest voting share | 7001775000000000000♠77.5% | 7001175000000000000♠17.5% |
Current leadership
[20]
Position | Leader | Party | Residence | District |
---|---|---|---|---|
President of the Senate | Karen E. Spilka | Democratic | Ashland | 2nd Middlesex and Norfolk |
Majority leader | Cynthia Stone Creem | Democratic | Newton | 1st Middlesex and Norfolk |
President Pro Tempore | Marc R. Pacheco | Democratic | Taunton | 1st Plymouth and Bristol |
Assistant Majority Leader | Mark C. Montigny | Democratic | New Bedford | 2nd Bristol and Plymouth |
Assistant Majority Leader | Patricia D. Jehlen | Democratic | Somerville | 2nd Middlesex |
Assistant Majority Leader | Sal N. DiDomenico | Democratic | Everett | Middlesex and Suffolk |
Senate Majority Whip | Michael J. Rodrigues | Democratic | Westport | 1st Bristol and Plymouth |
Assistant Majority Whip | Jason M. Lewis | Democratic | Winchester | 5th Middlesex |
Senate Ways and Means Chair | vacant | |||
Senate Ways and Means Vice Chair | Joan B. Lovely | Democratic | Salem | 2nd Essex |
Minority Leader | Bruce E. Tarr | Republican | Gloucester | 1st Essex and Norfolk |
Assistant Minority Leader | Donald F. Humason, Jr. | Republican | Westfield | 2nd Hampden and Hampshire |
Assistant Minority Leader | Richard J. Ross | Republican | Wrentham | Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex |
Minority Whip | Ryan C. Fattman | Republican | Gloucester | Worcester and Norfolk |
Minority Whip | Patrick M. O'Connor | Republican | Weymouth | Plymouth and Norfolk |
Senate Ways & Means Ranking Member | Viriato M. deMacedo | Republican | Plymouth | Plymouth and Barnstable |
Current members
Current members of the Senate, sorted by district name:
Senator | Party | District | Home Town/City | Assumed office | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adam G. Hinds[21] | | Democratic | Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden | Pittsfield | 2017 |
Paul Feeney | | Democratic | Bristol and Norfolk | Foxborough | 2017*[22] |
Michael Rodrigues | | Democratic | 1st Bristol and Plymouth | Westport | 2011 |
Mark Montigny | | Democratic | 2nd Bristol and Plymouth | New Bedford | 1993 |
Julian Cyr[23] | | Democratic | Cape and Islands | Truro | 2017 |
Kathleen O'Connor Ives | | Democratic | 1st Essex | Newburyport | 2013 |
Joan Lovely | | Democratic | 2nd Essex | Salem | 2013 |
Brendan Crighton | | Democratic | 3rd Essex | Lynn | 2018* |
Bruce Tarr | | Republican | 1st Essex and Middlesex | Gloucester | 1995 |
Barbara L'Italien | | Democratic | 2nd Essex and Middlesex | Andover | 2015 |
James T. Welch | | Democratic | Hampden | West Springfield | 2011 |
Eric Lesser | | Democratic | 1st Hampden and Hampshire | Longmeadow | 2015 |
Donald Humason, Jr. | | Republican | 2nd Hampden and Hampshire | Westfield | 2013* |
Vacant | | Hampshire and Franklin and Worcester | |||
Vacant | | 1st Middlesex | |||
Patricia D. Jehlen | | Democratic | 2nd Middlesex | Somerville | 2005* |
Michael J. Barrett | | Democratic | 3rd Middlesex | Lexington | 2013 |
Cindy Friedman | | Democratic | 4th Middlesex | Arlington | 2017* |
Jason Lewis | | Democratic | 5th Middlesex | Winchester | 2014* |
Cynthia Stone Creem | | Democratic | 1st Middlesex and Norfolk | Newton | 1999 |
Karen Spilka | | Democratic | 2nd Middlesex and Norfolk | Ashland | 2005 |
Sal DiDomenico | | Democratic | Middlesex and Suffolk | Everett | 2010* |
James B. Eldridge | | Democratic | Middlesex and Worcester | Acton | 2009 |
Richard Ross | | Republican | Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex | Wrentham | 2010* |
Walter Timilty[24] | | Democratic | Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth | Milton | 2017 |
John Keenan | | Democratic | Norfolk and Plymouth | Quincy | 2011 |
Michael F. Rush | | Democratic | Norfolk and Suffolk | Boston | 2011 |
Vinny deMacedo | | Republican | Plymouth and Barnstable | Plymouth | 2015 |
Marc Pacheco | | Democratic | 1st Plymouth and Bristol | Taunton | 1993 |
Michael Brady | | Democratic | 2nd Plymouth and Bristol | Brockton | 2015* |
Patrick O'Connor | | Republican | Plymouth and Norfolk | Weymouth | 2016* |
Nick Collins | | Democratic | 1st Suffolk | Boston | 2018* |
Sonia Chang-Diaz | | Democratic | 2nd Suffolk | Boston | 2009 |
Joseph A. Boncore | | Democratic | 1st Suffolk and Middlesex | Winthrop | 2016* |
Will Brownsberger | | Democratic | 2nd Suffolk and Middlesex | Belmont | 2012* |
Harriette Chandler | | Democratic | 1st Worcester | Worcester | 2001 |
Michael O. Moore | | Democratic | 2nd Worcester | Millbury | 2009 |
Anne Gobi | | Democratic | Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire and Middlesex | Spencer | 2015 |
Dean Tran | | Republican | Worcester and Middlesex | Fitchburg | 2017* |
Ryan Fattman | | Republican | Worcester and Norfolk | Webster | 2015 |
- *Originally elected in a special election
Past composition of the Senate
See also
- Massachusetts Senate Delegations
- Massachusetts House of Representatives
Massachusetts Senate elections, 2004, Massachusetts Senate elections, 2006, Massachusetts Senate elections, 2008, Massachusetts Senate elections, 2010
Notes
References
^ Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Article LXXXII.
^ Democrat Ken Donnelly died
^ Democrat Thomas P. Kennedy (2nd Plymouth and Bristol) died. [1]
^ Democrat Michael Brady sworn in to succeed Kennedy
^ Republican Robert L. Hedlund (Plymouth and Norfolk) resigned after being elected Mayor of Weymouth. [2]
^ Democrat Anthony Petruccelli (1st Suffolk and Middlesex) resigned after accepting a job in the private sector. [3]
^ Republican Patrick O' Connor and Democrat Joseph Boncore sworn in to succeed Hedlund and Petruccelli, respectively. [4]
^ Sen. Ken Donnelly (D – Fourth Middlesex) dies[5]
^ Sen. James Timilty (D – Bristol & Norfolk) resigns to serve as Norfolk County Treasurer [6]
^ Democrat Cindy Friedman, chief of staff to the late Sen. Ken Donnelly (D – Fourth Middlesex) wins special election to succeed him[7]
^ Sen. Jennifer Flanagan (D – Worcester & Middlesex) resigns to become a state Cannabis Control Commissioner [8]
^ Democrat Paul Feeney elected to replace Sen. James Timilty (D – Bristol & Norfolk)
[9]
^ Republican Dean Tran elected to replace Sen. Jennifer Flanagan (D – Worcester & Middlesex)
[10]
^ Democrat Thomas M. McGee (D – Third Essex) resigned to become Mayor of Lynn
[11]
^ Democrat Linda Dorcena Forry (D – First Suffolk) resigned [12]
^ "Crighton Takes His Seat In The State Senate". Itemlive. Retrieved April 2, 2018..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ "Donoghue sworn in as city manager, and gets right down to work". Lowell Sun. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
^ "Nick Collins cruises to victory in state Senate special election". Boston Globe. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
^ "Stan Rosenberg to quit Senate after scathing ethics report". Boston Globe. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
^ https://malegislature.gov/Legislators/Leadership/Senate
^ https://malegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/AGH0
^ Daniel Libon (October 17, 2017). "Feeney Beats Ventura, Shortsleeve In State Senate Race". Patch.
^ https://malegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/JAC0
^ https://malegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/WFT0
Further reading
"Senate of the General Court of Massachusetts". Public Officers of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 2005., 2007
"House–Senate power struggle brewing", Boston Globe, April 4, 2015
External links
Senate Members of the General Court official government website
Official Senate district definitions as of 2011
- 2002
2010, with names of senators
State Senate of Massachusetts[permanent dead link] at Project Vote Smart
Massachusetts Senate at Ballotpedia