Massachusetts Senate

Massachusetts Senate
Massachusetts Senate
Massachusetts General Court
Type
Type	Upper house
Term limits	None
History
New session started	November 10, 2015
Leadership
President of the Senate	Stanley Rosenberg (D) ; since January 7, 2015
President pro Tempore	Marc Pacheco (D) ; since January 21, 2015
Majority Leader	Harriette Chandler (D) ; since January 21, 2015
Minority Leader	Bruce Tarr (R) ; since January 5, 2011
Structure
Seats	40
Political groups	Democratic: (34) Republican: (6)
Length of term	2 years
Authority	Chapter 1, Massachusetts Constitution
Salary	$58,237.15/year per diem
Elections
Last election	November 4, 2014; (40 seats)
Next election	November 8, 2016; (40 seats)
Redistricting	Legislative Control
Meeting place
	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 189th General Court, which convened January 7, 2015. It consists of 34 Democrats and 6 Republicans. The President of the Senate is Stanley Rosenberg of Amherst. The Senate Minority Leader, from the Republican Party, is Bruce Tarr of Gloucester. The last state general election was on November 4, 2014.

Party control

Democrats hold a supermajority in the Senate.

Affiliation	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)		Total
	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" \|
	Democratic	Republican		Vacant
Start of 189th General Court	34	6	40	0
June 25, 2016^[2]	33		39	1
November 10, 2015^[3]	34		40	0
January 4, 2016^[4]	34	5	39	1
January 21, 2016^[5]	33	5	38	2
May 18, 2016^[6]	34	6	40	0
Latest voting share	85%	15%

Leadership

Position	Name	Party	Residence	District
President	Stanley Rosenberg	Democratic	Amherst	Hampshire, Franklin & Worcester
Minority Leader	Bruce Tarr	Republican	Gloucester	1st Essex and Middlesex

Members

Current members of the Senate, sorted by district name:

Senator	Party		District	Home Town/City	Assumed office
Benjamin Downing	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden	Pittsfield	2007
James Timilty	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	Bristol and Norfolk	Walpole	2005
Michael Rodrigues	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	1st Bristol and Plymouth	Westport	2011
Mark Montigny	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	2nd Bristol and Plymouth	New Bedford	1993
Dan Wolf	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	Cape and Islands	Harwich	2011
Kathleen O'Connor Ives	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	1st Essex	Newburyport	2013
Joan Lovely	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Demo	2nd Essex	Salem	2013
Thomas M. McGee	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	3rd Essex	Lynn	2002*
Bruce Tarr	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Rep	1st Essex and Middlesex	Gloucester	1995
Barbara L'Italien	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	2nd Essex and Middlesex	Andover	2015
James T. Welch	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	Hampden	West Springfield	2011
Eric Lesser	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	1st Hampden and Hampshire	Longmeadow	2015
Donald Humason, Jr.	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Rep	2nd Hampden and Hampshire	Westfield	2013*
Stanley Rosenberg	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	Hampshire and Franklin and Worcester	Amherst	1991*
Eileen Donoghue	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	1st Middlesex	Lowell	2011
Patricia D. Jehlen	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	2nd Middlesex	Somerville	2005*
Michael J. Barrett	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	3rd Middlesex	Lexington	2013
Ken Donnelly	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	4th Middlesex	Arlington	2009
Jason Lewis	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	5th Middlesex	Winchester	2014*
Cynthia Stone Creem	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	1st Middlesex and Norfolk	Newton	1999
Karen Spilka	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	2nd Middlesex and Norfolk	Ashland	2005
Sal DiDomenico	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	Middlesex and Suffolk	Everett	2010*
James B. Eldridge	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	Middlesex and Worcester	Acton	2009
Richard Ross	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Rep	Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex	Wrentham	2010*
Brian Joyce	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth	Milton	1998*
John Keenan	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	Norfolk and Plymouth	Quincy	2011
Michael F. Rush	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	Norfolk and Suffolk	Boston	2011
Vinny deMacedo	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Rep	Plymouth and Barnstable	Plymouth	2015
Marc Pacheco	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	1st Plymouth and Bristol	Taunton	1993
Michael Brady	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	2nd Plymouth and Bristol	Brockton	2015*
Patrick O'Connor	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Rep	Plymouth and Norfolk		2016*
Linda Dorcena Forry	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	1st Suffolk	Boston	2013*
Sonia Chang-Diaz	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	2nd Suffolk	Boston	2009
Joseph A. Boncore	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	1st Suffolk and Middlesex		2016*
Will Brownsberger	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	2nd Suffolk and Middlesex	Belmont	2012*
Harriette Chandler	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	1st Worcester	Worcester	2001
Michael O. Moore	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	2nd Worcester	Millbury	2009
Anne Gobi	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire and Middlesex	Spencer	2015
Jennifer Flanagan	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Dem	Worcester and Middlesex	Leominster	2009
Ryan Fattman	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	Rep	Worcester and Norfolk	Webster	2015

*Originally elected in a special election

Notes

References

^ Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Article LXXXII.
^ Democrat Thomas P. Kennedy (2nd Plymouth and Bristol) died. [1]
^ Democrat Michael Brady sworn in to succeed Kennedy. [2]
^ Republican Robert L. Hedlund (Plymouth and Norfolk) resigned after being elected Mayor of Weymouth. [3]
^ Democrat Anthony Petruccelli (1st Suffolk and Middlesex) resigned after accepting a job in the private sector. [4]
^ Republican Patrick O' Connor and Democrat Joseph Boncore sworn in to succeed Hedlund and Petruccelli, respectively. [5]

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 at Project Vote Smart
Massachusetts Senate at Ballotpedia

[1] Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Article LXXXII.

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

[3] Democrat Michael Brady sworn in to succeed Kennedy. [2]

[4] Republican Robert L. Hedlund (Plymouth and Norfolk) resigned after being elected Mayor of Weymouth. [3]

[5] Democrat Anthony Petruccelli (1st Suffolk and Middlesex) resigned after accepting a job in the private sector. [4]

[6] Republican Patrick O' Connor and Democrat Joseph Boncore sworn in to succeed Hedlund and Petruccelli, respectively. [5]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

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v t e Government of Massachusetts
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v t e Members of the Massachusetts Senate
193rd General Court (2023–present) President of the Senate Karen Spilka (D) President pro tempore Will Brownsberger (D) Majority Leader Cynthia Stone Creem (D) Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R)
▌Paul Mark (D, Berk., Hpsh., Frnk., & Hpdn.) ▌Paul Feeney (D, Bris. & Norf.) ▌Michael Rodrigues (D, 1st Bris. & Plym.) ▌Mark Montigny (D, 2nd Bris. & Plym.) ▌Marc Pacheco (D, 3rd Bris. & Plym.) ▌Julian Cyr (D, Cape & Islands) ▌Pavel Payano (D, 1st Essex) ▌Joan Lovely (D, 2nd Essex) ▌Brendan Crighton (D, 3rd Essex) ▌Bruce Tarr (R, 1st Ess. & Mid.) ▌Barry Finegold (D, 2nd Ess. & Mid.) ▌Adam Gomez (D, Hampden) ▌John Velis (D, Hpdn. & Hpsh.) ▌Jacob Oliveira (D, Hpdn., Hpsh. & Wor.) ▌Jo Comerford (D, Hpsh., Frnk., & Wor.) ▌Edward J. Kennedy (D, 1st Mid.) ▌Patricia D. Jehlen (D, 2nd Mid.) ▌Michael J. Barrett (D, 3rd Mid.) ▌Cindy Friedman (D, 4th Mid.) ▌Jason Lewis (D, 5th Mid.) ▌Karen Spilka (D, Mid. & Norf.) ▌Sal DiDomenico (D, Mid. & Suff.) ▌Jamie Eldridge (D, Mid. & Wor.) ▌Cynthia Stone Creem (D, Norf. & Mid.) ▌John F. Keenan (D, Norf. & Plym.) ▌Walter Timilty (D, Norf., Plym. & Bris.) ▌Mike Rush (D, Norf. & Suff.) ▌Becca Rausch (D, Norf., Wor. & Mid.) ▌Susan Moran (D, Plym. & Barn.) ▌Patrick O'Connor (R, 1st Plym. & Norf.) ▌Michael Brady (D, 2nd Plym. & Norf.) ▌Nick Collins (D, 1st Suffolk) ▌Liz Miranda (D, 2nd Suffolk) ▌Lydia Edwards (D, 3rd Suffolk) ▌Will Brownsberger (D, Suff. & Mid.) ▌Robyn Kennedy (D, 1st Worcester) ▌Michael O. Moore (D, 2nd Worcester) ▌Ryan Fattman (R, Wor. & Hpdn.) ▌Peter Durant (R, Wor. & Hpsh.) ▌John Cronin (D, Wor. & Mid.)
▌Democratic (36) ▌Republican (4) List of Massachusetts Senate delegations Massachusetts General Court Massachusetts House of Representatives Massachusetts Senate

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