2016 Massachusetts Democratic presidential primary

Last updated November 02, 2023

The 2016 Massachusetts Democratic presidential primary took place on March 1 in the U.S. state of Massachusetts as one of the Democratic Party's primaries ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

Opinion polling

Poll source	Date	1st	2nd	3rd	Other
Primary results	March 1, 2016	Hillary Clinton 49.7%	Bernie Sanders 48.3%		Others / Uncommitted 2.0%
SurveyMonkey^[3] Margin of error: ± ? Sample size: 1,224	February 22–29, 2016	Hillary Clinton 48%	Bernie Sanders 46%		Others / Undecided 6%
Emerson College^[4] Margin of error: ± 3.7% Sample size: 670	February 26–28, 2016	Hillary Clinton 54%	Bernie Sanders 43%		Others / Undecided 3%
Suffolk University^[5] Margin of error: ± 4.4% Sample size: 500	February 25–27, 2016	Hillary Clinton 50%	Bernie Sanders 42%		Others / Undecided 8%
WBZ-UMass Amherst^[6] Margin of error: ± 6.5% Sample size: 400	February 19–25, 2016	Hillary Clinton 47%	Bernie Sanders 44%		Others / Undecided 9%
WBUR^[7] Margin of error: ± 4.9% Sample size: 418	February 21–23, 2016	Hillary Clinton 49%	Bernie Sanders 44%		Others / Undecided 7%
Emerson College^[8] Margin of error: ± 4.75% Sample size: 417	February 19–21, 2016	Hillary Clinton 46%	Bernie Sanders 46%		Undecided 5%
Public Policy Polling^[9] Margin of error: ± 4.2 Sample Size: 538	February 14–16, 2016	Bernie Sanders 49%	Hillary Clinton 42%		Undecided 9%
Emerson College Margin of error: ± 6.0% Sample size: 265	October 16–18, 2015	Hillary Clinton 59%	Bernie Sanders 25%	Jim Webb 5%	Martin O'Malley 3%, Lincoln Chafee 3%, Other 2%, Undecided 3%
Emerson College^[10] Margin of error: ± ? Sample size: 430	March 14–19, 2015	Hillary Clinton 43%	Elizabeth Warren 16%	Joe Biden 10%	Bernie Sanders 6%, Martin O'Malley 2%, Other/Undecided 24%
Gravis Marketing Margin of error: ± 4% Sample size: 358	January 19–21, 2015	Hillary Clinton 46%	Elizabeth Warren 22%		Undecided 32%
Suffolk University Margin of error: ± 4.9% Sample size: 400	August 21–24, 2014	Hillary Clinton 55%	Elizabeth Warren 17.25%	Joe Biden 7.75%	Andrew Cuomo 4.75%, Martin O'Malley 1.5%, Undecided 12.25%, Refused 1.25%, Other 0.25%
Public Policy Polling Margin of error: ± 3.8% Sample size: 666	May 1–2, 2013	Hillary Clinton 55%	Joe Biden 17%	Andrew Cuomo 4%	Deval Patrick 4%, Elizabeth Warren 4%, Martin O'Malley 1%, Kirsten Gillibrand 0%, Brian Schweitzer 0%, Mark Warner 0%, Someone else/Not sure 14%

Results

Primary date: March 1, 2016
National delegates: 91

Results of the Massachusetts Democratic primary on March 1, 2016
Candidate	Popular vote^[11]		Estimated delegates^[12]
Candidate	Count	Percentage	Pledged	Unpledged	Total
Hillary Clinton	606,822	49.73%	46	21	67
Bernie Sanders	589,803	48.33%	45	1	46
Martin O'Malley (withdrawn)	4,783	0.39%	0	0	0
Rocky De La Fuente	1,545	0.13%	0	0	0
No preference	8,090	0.66%	–	2	2
All others	4,927	0.40%	0	0	0
Blank votes	4,326	0.35%	–	–	–
Total	1,220,296	100%	91	24	115

Results by county

County^[13]	Clinton	%	Sanders	%
Barnstable	21,889	48.7%	22,456	50.0%
Berkshire	12,916	47.6%	13,851	51.0%
Bristol	37,187	48.7%	36,797	48.2%
Dukes	2,312	44.8%	3,804	54.4%
Essex	65,679	48.7%	66,797	49.3%
Franklin	5,485	29.0%	13,286	70.2%
Hampden	31,766	50.3%	29,699	47.0%
Hampshire	14,309	40.4%	24,638	57.6%
Middlesex	170,096	51.5%	154,785	46.9%
Nantucket	979	47.5%	1,060	51.5%
Norfolk	72,105	52.7%	61,835	45.2%
Plymouth	39,165	48.3%	40,219	49.6%
Suffolk	79,314	56.6%	58,134	41.5%
Worcester	53,610	44.8%	63,745	53.2%
Total	606,822	49.7%	589,803	48.3%

Analysis

Clinton ran a close race against Bernie Sanders, much closer than her 15-point-win in the state eight years earlier against Barack Obama, but ultimately she came out victorious in the Bay State. She lost the white vote (85% of the electorate in Massachusetts) narrowly, 50-49, to Bernie Sanders, according to exit polls. She also lost the male vote 58-41. However, she won the non-white vote 59-41, and the votes of women 57-42 (including both married women 59-40, and unmarried women 53-46), which likely put her over the top statewide.

Sanders won among voters who had only a high school diploma or less, while Clinton won more highly educated voters, including postgraduates, who made up a larger proportion of the Massachusetts electorate. And while Sanders won 54-46 among voters under the age of 45, Clinton won 54-45 with those over 45 years of age, including a resounding 59-39 victory among senior citizens. And while Sanders won 55-45 among voters who make less than $100k per year, Clinton won with more affluent voters.

In terms of political party affiliation, Clinton won Democrats (65% of the electorate) 60-40, but lost Independents to Sanders 66-33.^[14]

While Sanders carried a majority of counties statewide, Clinton swept most of the major urban areas and cities, as well as the affluent suburbs. She won Boston by a large margin and also emerged victorious in other urban and more conservative towns such as Springfield and Worcester.^[15]

The Clinton win in Massachusetts came as a major blow to the Sanders campaign on Super Tuesday, as he had wanted to win a blue, largely white and liberal state like Massachusetts resoundingly in order to stay competitive after disappointing losses across the Southeast.

Following the primary, Elizabeth Warren, the state's senior US senator, was widely criticized by Sanders supporters online for her refusal to endorse him prior to the primary. Supporters of Bernie Sanders have argued that an endorsement from Warren, whose political positions were similar to that of Sanders's, and who was a frequent critic of Hillary Clinton in the past, could have handed Massachusetts to him.^[16] Warren though, had made it clear prior to the primary that she would not endorse either candidate until the end of the primary season, in which she eventually endorsed Clinton.

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References

↑ "Urban vote in Springfield, Boston propelled Clinton in Mass". masslive. March 3, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
↑ "Analysis: Mayor Walsh Delivered Boston For Clinton". www.wbur.org. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
↑ "Trump's Lead Looks Steady in Run-Up to Super Tuesday" . Retrieved March 1, 2016.
↑ "EMERSON POLL: CRUZ CLINGS TO NARROW LEAD IN TEXAS; TRUMP ROMPS IN BAY STATE, CLINTON PULLS AWAY FROM SANDERS" (PDF).
↑ "FINAL FEBRUARY MASS. DEM LIKELY VOTERS GeoCode" (PDF).
↑ "UMass Amherst/WBZ Poll of MA Likely Primary Voters" (PDF).
↑ "WBUR Poll: In Mass., Clinton Edges Sanders, While Trump Leads Big".
↑ "EMERSON POLL: IN MASSACHUSETTS CLINTON, SANDERS IN A DEAD HEAT; TRUMP TROUNCES ALL GOP RIVALS" (PDF).
↑ "March 2016 Democratic Primary Polls" (PDF).
↑ "Wix PDF" (PDF). media.wix.com. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
↑ "2016 President Democratic Primary" . Retrieved March 15, 2016.
↑ The Green Papers
↑ "PD43+ » 2016 President Democratic Primary".
↑ "2016 Election Center". CNN. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
↑ "How did Hillary Clinton win Massachusetts Super Tuesday primary? Urban vote in Springfield, Boston made the difference". March 3, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
↑ "Elizabeth Warren Faces Online Attacks Over Bernie's MA Loss". Archived from the original on October 6, 2016. Retrieved October 5, 2016.

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[1] "Urban vote in Springfield, Boston propelled Clinton in Mass". masslive. March 3, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2021.

[2] "Analysis: Mayor Walsh Delivered Boston For Clinton". www.wbur.org. Retrieved August 24, 2021.

[https-3] "Trump's Lead Looks Steady in Run-Up to Super Tuesday" . Retrieved March 1, 2016.

[4] "EMERSON POLL: CRUZ CLINGS TO NARROW LEAD IN TEXAS; TRUMP ROMPS IN BAY STATE, CLINTON PULLS AWAY FROM SANDERS" (PDF).

[5] "FINAL FEBRUARY MASS. DEM LIKELY VOTERS GeoCode" (PDF).

[6] "UMass Amherst/WBZ Poll of MA Likely Primary Voters" (PDF).

[7] "WBUR Poll: In Mass., Clinton Edges Sanders, While Trump Leads Big".

[8] "EMERSON POLL: IN MASSACHUSETTS CLINTON, SANDERS IN A DEAD HEAT; TRUMP TROUNCES ALL GOP RIVALS" (PDF).

[9] "March 2016 Democratic Primary Polls" (PDF).

[10] "Wix PDF" (PDF). media.wix.com. Retrieved July 9, 2015.

[11] "2016 President Democratic Primary" . Retrieved March 15, 2016.

[12] The Green Papers

[13] "PD43+ » 2016 President Democratic Primary".

[14] "2016 Election Center". CNN. Retrieved September 25, 2016.

[15] "How did Hillary Clinton win Massachusetts Super Tuesday primary? Urban vote in Springfield, Boston made the difference". March 3, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2016.

[16] "Elizabeth Warren Faces Online Attacks Over Bernie's MA Loss". Archived from the original on October 6, 2016. Retrieved October 5, 2016.

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