Massachusetts Senate



















































































Massachusetts Senate

Massachusetts General Court

Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type

Upper house

Term limits

None
History
New session started

January 4, 2017
Leadership
President of the Senate


Karen Spilka (D)
Since July 26, 2018

President pro Tempore


Marc Pacheco (D)
Since January 21, 2015

Majority Leader


Cynthia Stone Creem (D)
Since February 28, 2018

Minority Leader


Bruce Tarr (R)
Since January 5, 2011

Structure
Seats
40

Massachusetts Senate May 2018.svg
Political groups

Majority



  Democrat (31)

Minority



  Republican (7)


  Vacant (2)

Length of term

2 years
Authority
Chapter 1, Massachusetts Constitution
Salary
$62,500/year; set to increase every two years equal to the increase in the median salary of Massachusetts. Additional stipends are given to leaders of the majority and minority party.
Elections
Last election

November 8, 2016
(40 seats)
Next election

November 6, 2018
(40 seats)
Redistricting
Legislative Control
Meeting place

Holy Mackerel State House.jpg

State Senate Chamber
Massachusetts State House
Boston, Massachusetts
Website

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%




Composition by municipality in the 187th and 188th General Courts.




Composition by municipality in the 189th General Court and at the opening of 190th General Court.




Composition by municipality in the 190th General Court beginning on December 5, 2017.




Current composition by municipality.



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





  1. ^ Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Article LXXXII.


  2. ^ Democrat Ken Donnelly died


  3. ^ Democrat Thomas P. Kennedy (2nd Plymouth and Bristol) died. [1]


  4. ^ Democrat Michael Brady sworn in to succeed Kennedy


  5. ^ Republican Robert L. Hedlund (Plymouth and Norfolk) resigned after being elected Mayor of Weymouth. [2]


  6. ^ Democrat Anthony Petruccelli (1st Suffolk and Middlesex) resigned after accepting a job in the private sector. [3]


  7. ^ Republican Patrick O' Connor and Democrat Joseph Boncore sworn in to succeed Hedlund and Petruccelli, respectively. [4]


  8. ^ Sen. Ken Donnelly (D – Fourth Middlesex) dies[5]


  9. ^ Sen. James Timilty (D – Bristol & Norfolk) resigns to serve as Norfolk County Treasurer [6]


  10. ^ Democrat Cindy Friedman, chief of staff to the late Sen. Ken Donnelly (D – Fourth Middlesex) wins special election to succeed him[7]


  11. ^ Sen. Jennifer Flanagan (D – Worcester & Middlesex) resigns to become a state Cannabis Control Commissioner [8]


  12. ^ Democrat Paul Feeney elected to replace Sen. James Timilty (D – Bristol & Norfolk)
    [9]



  13. ^ Republican Dean Tran elected to replace Sen. Jennifer Flanagan (D – Worcester & Middlesex)
    [10]



  14. ^ Democrat Thomas M. McGee (D – Third Essex) resigned to become Mayor of Lynn
    [11]



  15. ^ Democrat Linda Dorcena Forry (D – First Suffolk) resigned [12]


  16. ^ "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}


  17. ^ "Donoghue sworn in as city manager, and gets right down to work". Lowell Sun. Retrieved April 11, 2018.


  18. ^ "Nick Collins cruises to victory in state Senate special election". Boston Globe. Retrieved May 2, 2018.


  19. ^ "Stan Rosenberg to quit Senate after scathing ethics report". Boston Globe. Retrieved May 5, 2018.


  20. ^ https://malegislature.gov/Legislators/Leadership/Senate


  21. ^ https://malegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/AGH0


  22. ^ Daniel Libon (October 17, 2017). "Feeney Beats Ventura, Shortsleeve In State Senate Race". Patch.


  23. ^ https://malegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/JAC0


  24. ^ 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













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