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.

For a list of previous senators, see List of Massachusetts Senate delegations.

Massachusetts Senate
193rd General Court of Massachusetts
Coat of arms or logo
Seal of the Senate of Massachusetts
Type
Type
Term limits
None
History
New session started
January 4, 2023
Leadership
Karen Spilka (D)
since July 26, 2018
President pro tempore
William Brownsberger (D)
since March 20, 2019
Majority Leader
Cynthia Stone Creem (D)
since February 28, 2018
Minority Leader
Bruce Tarr (R)
since January 5, 2011
Structure
Seats40
Political groups
Majority (36)
  •   Democratic (36)

Minority (3)

Vacant (1)

  •   Vacant (1)
Length of term
2 years
AuthorityChapter 1, Massachusetts Constitution
Salary$70,537/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
First-past-the-post
Last election
November 8, 2022
(40 seats)
Next election
November 5, 2024
(40 seats)
RedistrictingLegislative Control
Meeting place
State Senate Chamber
Massachusetts State House
Boston, Massachusetts
Website
Massachusetts Senate
Rules
Rules of the Massachusetts Senate (English)

Qualifications

The following are the qualifications to be elected to the Massachusetts Senate:[2]

  • Be 18 years of age
  • Be a registered voter in Massachusetts
  • Be an inhabitant of Massachusetts for five years
  • Be a resident of the district when elected
  • Receive a least 300 signatures on nomination papers

Recent party control

Democrats hold a supermajority in the Senate.

Affiliation Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
 Total
Democratic Republican Vacant
Begin 189th (2015-2016) 34 6 40 0
Begin 190th (2017-2018)
Begin 191st (2019-2020)
Begin 192nd (2021-2022) 37 3 40 0
Begin 193rd (2022-2023) 37 3 40 0
June 5, 2023[lower-alpha 1] 36 3 39 1
Latest voting share 90% 7.5%

[4]

Current leadership
Main article: 2023–2024 Massachusetts legislature § Leadership

Current members and districts
Main article: 2023–2024 Massachusetts legislature § Members

Current committees and members
Main article: 2023–2024 Massachusetts legislature § Committees

Past composition of the Senate
Main article: Political party strength in Massachusetts
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.
Composition by municipality at the beginning of the 191st General Court.

See also

Notes
  1. Anne Gobi (D) resigned from the Massachusetts Senate to accept a job in the gubernatorial administration of Gov. Maura Healey.[3]

References
  1. Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Article LXXXII.
  2. "How to Run for Office in Massachusetts" (PDF). March 2017.
  3. "State Sen. Gobi tapped for new post in Healey administration as director of rural affairs". WBUR. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  4. "Massachusetts Senate". Ballotpedia. Retrieved January 5, 2023.

Further reading
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