| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Markey:: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% O'Connor: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% Tie: 40–50% | |||||||||||||||||
|
Elections in Massachusetts |
---|
Massachusettsportal |
The 2020 United States Senate election in Massachusetts was held on November 3, 2020, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the United States Senate in other states, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections. On September 1, incumbent senator Ed Markey defeated U.S. Representative Joe Kennedy III in a competitive primary for the Democratic nomination, and Kevin O'Connor defeated Shiva Ayyadurai for the Republican nomination. Markey went on to win the general election with 66.2% of the vote, and was thus re-elected to a second full term in a landslide.
The state primary election took place on September 1, 2020. [1] Incumbent senator Ed Markey was challenged by U.S. Representative Joe Kennedy III, a member of the Kennedy family. Kennedy and Markey had similar political positions, both being considered reliably liberal Democrats, though Markey was considered more left-wing on the DW-Nominate scale. [2] An elected senator had not been defeated in a primary since Richard Lugar in 2012, and an elected Democrat had not been defeated since Joe Lieberman in 2006. [3]
In August 2019, it was reported that Kennedy was considering a primary challenge to Markey. [4] He announced that he would be launching a campaign on September 18. [5] According to Vox , one of the main reasons for Kennedy's decision to challenge Markey, rather than waiting for a Senate seat to open up, was that Markey was perceived to be an easier opponent than the raft of candidates that would run without an incumbent. [6] Polling of the potential match-up showed Markey trailing Kennedy by as much as 14 points, leading to speculation that he would retire rather than face a humiliating primary defeat, but he resolved to run for re-election. [7]
Kennedy faced skepticism about his reasons for running to replace Markey, and journalists observed that his campaign had difficulty articulating a clear rationale. [8] Eventually, Kennedy's campaign pitch largely focused around a message that he would "show up" for disadvantaged residents of Massachusetts, something he claimed Markey had not been doing. [9] This strategy was heavily inspired by Ayanna Pressley's successful campaign for the U.S. House the previous cycle, and was aimed at casting Kennedy as an insurgent outsider running against the establishment. [9]
Facing a severe polling deficit, Markey undertook to politically reinvent himself; his relatively low profile in Massachusetts gave him the opportunity to essentially define himself for the first time to many voters. [10] The main focus of Markey's re-election strategy was to promote himself as a left-wing iconoclast who clashed with the Democratic Party apparatus; to this extent a campaign ad from 1976 wherein Markey promoted his clashes with Massachusetts political bosses was widely used by his campaign. [10] Markey also frequently promoted an endorsement he received from New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a favorite of the Democratic Party's left; Ocasio-Cortez's endorsement encouraged left-wing activist organizations to also support Markey, and resulted in the incumbent developing a large following on the internet. [10]
Support from within the Democratic Party was divided. Markey received support from the DSCC, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, and DSCC chair Catherine Cortez Masto. He was also endorsed by key figures in the party's progressive wing, such as Ocasio-Cortez, fellow Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, and the youth-led Sunrise Movement. [11] Kennedy received various endorsements from the House leadership, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi (which was noteworthy because speakers rarely endorse candidates in competitive primaries, especially challengers to incumbents), [12] [13] House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, [14] House Democratic Caucus chair Hakeem Jeffries, [15] House Intelligence Committee chair Adam Schiff, [16] and House Democratic Senior Chief Deputy Whip John Lewis. [17]
As the campaign progressed, Markey began to explicitly criticise the Kennedy family, deeming them as emblematic of privilege, and frequently contrasting the Kennedy Compound with his own upbringing in Malden. [18] Kennedy attacked Markey for these actions, accusing him of "weaponizing" the history of the Kennedy family. [19] As the race entered its final days the contest began to assume an ideological meaning, with New York writer Gabriel Debendetti writing that the contest was viewed as a "fight for the soul of the national Democratic party", with both candidates claiming that a victory for them would be an affirmation of the strength of the left-wing of the Democrats. [20]
U.S. Executive Branch officials
U.S. senators
U.S. representatives
Statewide politicians
State legislators
Local politicians
Individuals
Labor unions
Newspapers
Executive officials
U.S. senators
U.S. representatives
Statewide politicians
State officials
Local officials
Individuals
Unions
Organizations
Newspapers
Campaign finance reports as of August 12, 2020 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
Ed Markey (D) | $11,083,613 | $10,402,461 | $3,535,316 |
Joe Kennedy III (D) | $8,542,661 | $11,661,569 | $1,378,349 |
Source: Federal Election Commission [150] [151] |
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Joe Kennedy III vs. Ed Markey | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Source of poll aggregation | Dates administered | Date updated | Joe Kennedy III | Ed Markey | Undecided [lower-alpha 1] | Margin |
RealClearPolitics [152] | July 31 – August 27, 2020 | August 27, 2020 | 40.8% | 52.0% | 7.2% | Markey +11.2 |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [lower-alpha 2] | Margin of error | Ed Markey | Maura Healey | Shannon Liss-Riordan | Joe Kennedy III | Seth Moulton | Steve Pemberton | Allen Waters | Other | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Emerson College/WHDH [153] | August 25–27, 2020 | 453 (LV) | ± 4.6% | 56% | – | – | 44% | – | – | – | – | – |
Data for Progress [154] | August 24–25, 2020 | 731 (LV) | ± 4% | 50% | – | – | 43% | – | – | – | – | 7% |
Suffolk University [155] | August 23–25, 2020 | 500 (LV) | – | 51% | – | – | 41% | – | – | – | 0% [lower-alpha 3] | 8% |
UMass Lowell [156] | August 13–21, 2020 | 800 (LV) | ± 4.1% | 52% | – | – | 40% | – | – | – | 2% [lower-alpha 4] | 6% |
SurveyUSA/Priorities for Progress [157] | August 12–16, 2020 | 558 (LV) | ± 4.2% | 44% | – | – | 42% | – | – | – | – | 15% |
UMassAmherst/WCVB [158] | July 31 – August 7, 2020 | 362 (LV) | ± 7.0% | 51% | – | – | 36% | – | – | – | 1% | 12% |
JMC Analytics and Polling [159] | July 29–30, 2020 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 44% | – | – | 41% | – | – | – | – | 16% |
Emerson College [160] | May 5–6, 2020 | 620 (LV) | ± 3.9% | 42% | – | – | 58% | – | – | – | – | – |
University of Massachusetts Lowell [161] | April 27 – May 1, 2020 | 531 (LV) | ± 7.8% | 42% | – | – | 44% | – | – | – | 4% [lower-alpha 5] | 10% |
Suffolk University/Boston Globe/WBZ [162] [163] [164] | February 26–28, 2020 | 465 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 36% | – | – | 42% | – | – | – | 1% [lower-alpha 6] | 21% |
UMass Amherst/WCVB [165] | February 18–24, 2020 | 400 (LV) | ± 5.9% | 43% | – | – | 40% | – | – | – | 4% | 13% |
UMass Lowell/YouGov [166] | February 12–19, 2020 | 450 (LV) | ± 6.1% | 34% | – | – | 35% | – | – | – | – | 23% |
Liss-Riordan withdraws from the race | ||||||||||||
Waters withdraws from the race | ||||||||||||
Pemberton withdraws from the race | ||||||||||||
Kennedy announces his candidacy | ||||||||||||
Suffolk University/Boston Globe [167] | September 3–5, 2019 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 28% | – | – | 42% | – | – | – | – | 29% |
26% | – | <1% | 35% | – | 1% | 0% | – | 36% | ||||
Change Research [168] | August 23–25, 2019 | 808 (RV) | ± 3.5% | 25% | – | 5% | 42% | – | 7% | – | – | – |
Pemberton announces his candidacy | ||||||||||||
Suffolk University [169] | June 5–9, 2019 | 370 (LV) | ± 5.1% | 44% | – | 5% | – | – | 5% | – | – | 45% |
Liss-Riordan announces her candidacy [170] | ||||||||||||
Healey announces that she will not run | ||||||||||||
Waters announces his candidacy [171] | ||||||||||||
Moulton announces that he will not run [172] | ||||||||||||
YouGov/UMass Amherst [173] | November 7–14, 2018 | 635 (RV) | – | 26% | 27% | – | – | – | – | – | – | 35% |
636 (RV) | – | 29% | – | – | – | 25% | – | – | – | 38% | ||
Markey announces his candidacy | ||||||||||||
Suffolk University [174] | September 13–17, 2018 | 433 (LV) | – | 24% | – | – | – | 18% | – | – | – | 45% |
No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Democratic | Democratic |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn | ||||||
Ed Markey | Joe Kennedy III | |||||
1 | February 18, 2020 | WGBH-TV | Jim Braude Margery Eagan | [175] | P | P |
2 | February 18, 2020 | WBTS-CD | Latoyia Edwards | [176] | P | P |
3 | August 11, 2020 | WBZ-TV | Jon Keller | [177] | P | P |
Markey defeated his challenger, Joe Kennedy III. Markey won by running up big margins in Boston and its suburbs, and did well in western Massachusetts, especially in college towns. Kennedy did well in the Cape Cod region, and won many Southern municipalities, especially his native 4th district. [178] Despite Kennedy's strength in Southern Massachusetts, Markey defeated Kennedy in portions of the 4th district near Boston, carrying Kennedy's hometown of Newton by 28.2% and neighboring Brookline by 39%. Markey's margin of victory of 10.8% was attributed to his unexpected strength among progressives and younger voters. [179] [21] Kennedy's loss marked the first time a member of the Kennedy family had lost an election in Massachusetts. [180] [181]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Ed Markey (incumbent) | 782,694 | 55.35% | |
Democratic | Joe Kennedy III | 629,359 | 44.51% | |
Democratic | Write-ins | 1,935 | 0.14% | |
Total votes | 1,413,988 | 100.00% |
The state primary election took place on September 1, 2020. [1]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Kevin O'Connor | 158,590 | 59.71% | |
Republican | Shiva Ayyadurai | 104,782 | 39.45% | |
Republican | Write-ins | 2,245 | 0.84% | |
Total votes | 265,617 | 100.00% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Libertarian | Other Write-ins | 3,390 | 99.21% | |
Libertarian | Vermin Supreme (write-in) | 27 | 0.79% | |
Total votes | 3,417 | 100.00% |
The general election took place on November 3, 2020. [1]
No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Democratic | Republican |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn | ||||||
Ed Markey | Kevin O'Conner | |||||
1 | October 5, 2020 | WGBH-TV | Jim Braude Margery Eagan | [195] | P | P |
Source | Ranking | As of |
---|---|---|
The Cook Political Report [196] | Safe D | October 29, 2020 |
Inside Elections [197] | Safe D | October 28, 2020 |
Sabato's Crystal Ball [198] | Safe D | November 2, 2020 |
Daily Kos [199] | Safe D | October 30, 2020 |
Politico [200] | Safe D | November 2, 2020 |
RCP [201] | Safe D | October 23, 2020 |
DDHQ [202] | Safe D | November 3, 2020 |
538 [203] | Safe D | November 2, 2020 |
Economist [204] | Safe D | November 2, 2020 |
Vice Presidents
U.S. senators
U.S. representatives
Statewide politicians
State officials
Local officials
Individuals
Unions
Organizations
Newspapers
Statewide politicians
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [lower-alpha 2] | Margin of error | Ed Markey (D) | Kevin O'Connor (R) | Other | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MassInc [221] | October 23–30, 2020 | 929 (LV) | – | 60% | 29% | 6% [lower-alpha 7] | 5% |
YouGov/UMass Amherst [222] | October 14–21, 2020 | 713 (LV) | – | 65% | 26% | 2% [lower-alpha 8] | 7% |
Remington Research (R) [223] [upper-alpha 1] | September 16–17, 2020 | 907 (LV) | ± 3.3% | 50% | 40% | – | 10% |
with Charlie Baker
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [lower-alpha 2] | Margin of error | Ed Markey (D) | Charlie Baker (R) | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Change Research [168] | August 23–25, 2019 | 1,008 (RV) | ± 3.1% | 44% | 45% | – |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [lower-alpha 2] | Margin of error | Shannon Liss-Riordan (D) | Charlie Baker (R) | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Change Research [168] | August 23–25, 2019 | 1,008 (RV) | ± 3.1% | 35% | 54% | – |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [lower-alpha 2] | Margin of error | Joe Kennedy III (D) | Charlie Baker (R) | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Change Research [168] | August 23–25, 2019 | 1,008 (RV) | ± 3.1% | 49% | 41% | – |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [lower-alpha 2] | Margin of error | Steve Pemberton (D) | Charlie Baker (R) | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Change Research [168] | August 23–25, 2019 | 1,008 (RV) | ± 3.1% | 31% | 56% | – |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Ed Markey (incumbent) | 2,357,809 | 66.15% | +4.28% | |
Republican | Kevin O'Connor | 1,177,765 | 33.05% | −4.93% | |
Independent | Shiva Ayyadurai (write-in) | 21,134 | 0.59% | N/A | |
Write-in | 7,428 | 0.21% | +0.06% | ||
Total votes | 3,564,136 | 100.0% | |||
Democratic hold |
By county | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Markey won all fourteen of Massachusetts' counties for the second election in a row.
Markey won all 9 congressional districts. [226]
District | Markey | O'Connor | Representative |
---|---|---|---|
1st | 37% | 62% | Richard Neal |
2nd | 36% | 62% | Jim McGovern |
3rd | 35% | 64% | Lori Trahan |
4th | 36% | 64% | Joe Kennedy III |
Jake Auchincloss | |||
5th | 25% | 75% | Katherine Clark |
6th | 36% | 63% | Seth Moulton |
7th | 13% | 86% | Ayanna Pressley |
8th | 34% | 66% | Stephen Lynch |
9th | 41% | 58% | Bill Keating |
General
Partisan clients
Edward John Markey is an American politician serving as the junior United States senator from Massachusetts since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he served 20 terms as the U.S. representative for Massachusetts's 7th congressional district from 1976 to 2013. Before his congressional career, he was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1973 to 1976.
The 2012 United States Senate election in Massachusetts was held in Massachusetts on November 6, 2012, Democrat Elizabeth Warren defeated incumbent Republican Senator Scott Brown. This election was held concurrently with the U.S. presidential election and elections to the U.S. Senate in other states, as well as elections to the House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
The 2014 United States Senate election in Massachusetts was held on November 4, 2014, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, concurrently with the election of the Governor of Massachusetts, other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
The 2014 Massachusetts gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 2014, to elect the Governor of Massachusetts, concurrently with the election of Massachusetts' Class II U.S. Senate seat, and other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Massachusetts were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, to elect the nine U.S. representatives from the state of Massachusetts, a loss of one seat following the 2010 census, for service in the 113th Congress from January 3, 2013, to January 3, 2015. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial presidential election. The candidate elected in each of the state's congressional districts was a member the Democratic Party.
The 2013 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 5, 2013. This off-year election cycle featured several special elections to the United States Congress; two gubernatorial races; state legislative elections in a few states; and numerous citizen initiatives, mayoral races, and a variety of other local offices on the ballot.
William N. Brownsberger is an American politician and the President pro tempore of the Massachusetts Senate representing the Suffolk and Middlesex District which includes his hometown of Belmont, as well as Watertown, the Boston neighborhoods Allston and Brighton, part of Boston's Fenway-Kenmore area, and part of Cambridge. From 2007 to 2012, he was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. He was a candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 2013 special election to succeed Ed Markey in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Joseph Patrick Kennedy III is an American politician and diplomat who has been the United States Special Envoy for Northern Ireland since 2022. Prior to this, Kennedy served as the U.S. representative for Massachusetts's 4th congressional district from 2013 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented a district that extends from Boston's western suburbs to the state's South Coast. He worked as an assistant district attorney in the Cape and Islands and Middlesex County, Massachusetts, offices before his election to Congress. In January 2021, he became a CNN commentator.
The 2013 United States Senate special election in Massachusetts was held on June 25, 2013, in order to fill the Massachusetts Class 2 United States Senate seat for the remainder of the term ending January 3, 2015.
A special election for Massachusetts's 5th congressional district took place on December 10, 2013, due to the resignation of Democratic Congressman Ed Markey following his election to the United States Senate in a special election on June 25, 2013. Primary elections were held on October 15, in which Democratic state senator Katherine Clark and Republican Frank Addivinola won their party nominations. State law required that Governor Deval Patrick call a special election between 145 and 160 days after the vacancy became official. On December 10, Clark easily defeated Addivinola with almost 2/3 of the vote, holding the seat for the Democrats. Clark's win marked the 92nd consecutive U.S. House loss by Republicans in Massachusetts since 1996.
The 2018 Massachusetts gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018, to elect the governor and lieutenant governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Republican Governor Charlie Baker and Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito sought reelection to a second term in office, facing Democratic challengers Jay Gonzalez and Quentin Palfrey, respectively. Candidates were selected in the primary election held on September 4, 2018.
The 2020 United States Senate election in Tennessee was held on November 3, 2020, concurrently with other elections to the United States Senate. The 2020 U.S. presidential election and elections to the U.S. House of Representatives were also held, as well as the State Senate and State House elections. Incumbent Republican Senator Lamar Alexander announced that he would not run for re-election on December 17, 2018. The former United States Ambassador to Japan, Bill Hagerty won the open seat by a large margin defeating his Democratic opponent Marquita Bradshaw.
The 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Massachusetts were held on November 6, 2018, electing the nine U.S. representatives from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, one from each of the state's nine congressional districts. The elections coincided with the elections of other offices, including a gubernatorial election, other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate, and various state and local elections. The primary election for contested nominations was held on September 4, 2018.
The 2022 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor of Massachusetts. Republican former state representative Geoff Diehl, Democratic state attorney general Maura Healey, and Libertarian Kevin Reed sought to succeed incumbent governor Charlie Baker, who did not seek re-election after two terms. The race was one of six Republican-held governorships up for election in 2022 in a state carried by Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election and the only race in which the incumbent was retiring despite being eligible for re-election.
The 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Massachusetts were held on November 3, 2020, to elect the nine U.S. representatives from the state of Massachusetts, one from each of the state's nine congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections. Primary elections were held on September 1.
The 2024 United States Senate election in Massachusetts will be held on November 5, 2024, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of Massachusetts. Primary elections will take place on September 3, 2024. Incumbent Senator Elizabeth Warren was first elected in 2012, defeating incumbent Republican Scott Brown. Warren was re-elected with 60.3% of the vote in 2018 and is seeking a third term in office. Primary elections will be held on September 3.
The 2021 Boston mayoral election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2021, to elect the mayor of Boston, Massachusetts. Incumbent mayor Marty Walsh was eligible to seek a third term. However, he resigned as mayor on March 22, 2021, after being confirmed as secretary of labor in the Cabinet of Joe Biden. This left the Boston City Council president, at the time Kim Janey, to hold the role of acting mayor until the victor of the election would take office.
The 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Massachusetts were held on November 8, 2022, to elect the nine U.S. representatives from the state of Massachusetts, one from each of the state's nine congressional districts. The elections coincided with other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections. Only two primaries, the Republicans in the 8th and 9th districts, were to be held, the rest being uncontested. It is also the most-populous state in which only a single party won seats in 2022.
The 2022 Massachusetts Attorney General election took place on November 8, 2022, to elect the next attorney general of Massachusetts. Incumbent Democratic Attorney General Maura Healey was eligible to seek a third term, but instead announced she would run for governor.
The 2022 Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. Incumbent Democrat William Galvin won re-election. Galvin has been Secretary since 1995. The last Republican to be elected to the position was Frederic Cook, in 1949. Only Cook has served a longer tenure as Secretary.
Robert F. Kennedy was not on the ballot in Massachusetts in the 1968 Democratic Party presidential primaries, and finished second to Eugene McCarthy as a write-in candidate.
Official campaign websites