Voters in Cambridge and Somerville will find out later today just who is running to represent them in Massachusetts legislature, as candidates have until 5 p.m. to submit nomination papers to their local election office for certification of signatures. A candidate needs a minimum of 150 signatures to run for representative and 300 to run for senate.
Candidates then have until May 26 to file with the Secretary of the Commonwealth, with the primary election taking place September 1.
Normally a sleepy cycle featuring few if any contested races, this year already features seven contested Democratic primaries out of 11 seats. So far, no Republicans or third-party candidates have submitted papers.
In Massachusetts, residents vote for different seats in the House and Senate based on where they live. In this guide, we identify the precincts that will see each race on their ballots. Keep an eye out for yours and use the state’s election information tool if you’re not sure of your precinct.
House sees competition for two open seats, plus three other contests
24th Middlesex District
Who’s voting: Residents of northwest Cambridge in Ward 11, precincts 1 & 3, plus some Arlington and Belmont residents.
Who’s running: Nomita Ganguly is challenging incumbent David Rogers for the seat. Ganguly is an attorney and has worked in legislative advocacy. Rogers, who was elected to the seat in 2012, serves as Chairperson of the Joint Committee on Higher Education. He beat a challenger in the 2020 Democratic primary but hasn’t otherwise faced a challenge since being elected. As of Tuesday morning, Rogers had fully filed to run for reelection, according to the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s media office.
25th Middlesex District
Who’s voting: Cambridge residents in and around Harvard Square: namely Ward 3, precinct 3A; Ward 4, precincts 2, 2A and 3; Ward 6, precincts 2 and 3; Ward 7; Ward 8; and Ward 10, precincts 1A and 2.
Who’s running: Evan MacKay is challenging incumbent Marjorie Decker. It will be a rematch: Decker beat Mackay by 41 votes when the two ran for the seat in 2024. Decker was elected in 2012 and serves as Chairperson for the Joint Committee on Public Health. MacKay is a union organizer and Harvard teaching fellow.
26th Middlesex District
Who’s voting: Residents of East Cambridge, including Ward 1, precinct 3; Ward 1, precincts 1, 2, and 3A; Ward 3, precincts 1, 2, and 3; Ward 4, precinct 1; Ward 5, precincts 1 and 3; and Ward 6, precincts 1 and 1A. Somerville residents in Ward 1, precincts 1, 2, 3, and 4, or in Ward 2, precinct 1A, are also in the 26th Middlesex District.
Who’s running: Neil Miller is challenging incumbent Mike Connolly. Connolly was elected to the seat in 2016 and has not faced a challenger since. He now serves as the Vice Chair of the House Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs. Miller is a student at Harvard Kennedy School and formerly worked as a data scientist for the federal government. Speaking to Cambridge Day in March, both candidates cited affordable housing as a key campaign issue.
27th Middlesex District
Who’s voting: Residents of central Somerville, including Ward 1, precinct 4A; Ward 2, precincts 1, 2, 3, and 4; Ward 3; Ward 4, precinct 2A; Ward 5; and Ward 6, precincts 1, 2, 3, and 4, will vote for representative in the 27th Middlesex District.
Who’s running: The seat is open following current rep. Erika Uyterhoeven’s announcement that she’ll run for state Senate this year. Somerville City Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen and Olivia Gilligan Corsetti, who worked as campaign manager for former Somerville mayor Katjana Ballantyne, have both announced that they’ll run for the seat. Ewen-Campen was elected to represent Ward 3 in 2017.
Ewen-Campen had “fully qualified for the ballot” as of Tuesday morning, according to the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s media office.
29th Middlesex District
Who’s voting: This district covers West Cambridge, including Ward 9; Ward 10, precincts 1 and 3; and Ward 11, precincts 1A, 2, and 3A. It also covers some of Watertown.
Who’s running: Incumbent Steve Owens, who also serves as Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development, is running for reelection. No one has announced a challenge for this cycle. Owens was elected in 2020 and has not since faced a challenger. As of Tuesday morning, he’s fully filed to run for the seat, the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s media office said.
34th Middlesex District
Who’s voting: Somervillians in Ward 4, precincts 1, 2, 3, and 4; Ward 6, precinct 3A; and Ward 7. Some Medford residents are also in this district.
Who’s running: Current representative Christine Barber has also announced that she’ll run for state Senate, leaving her seat in the 34th Middlesex District open. Somerville City Councilor Will Mbah, Christopher Oates and Paul Ruseau have announced that they’ll run for the seat. Mbah was elected Councilor at Large in 2017. He’s served with the exception of the 2021 term, when Mbah relinquished his seat to contest Ballantyne for Mayor and was defeated by roughly 3,200 votes. Mbah had fully filed as of Tuesday morning, the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s media rep said.
Ruseau is a software engineer at Dana-Farber and a member of the Medford school committee, a role he’s held for 9 years. Oates has a background in political risk assessment and founded a tech company using AI to improve government accessibility, according to his LinkedIn profile.
2nd Suffolk District
Who’s voting: East Cantabrigians in Ward 1, precincts 1 and 2, and Ward 2, precinct 3. Pieces of Boston and Everett are also included.
Who’s running: Incumbent Daniel Joseph Ryan was elected to the seat in 2014. He staved off a challenge in the 2020 Democratic primary and hasn’t otherwise faced a challenge. Ryan, who serves as Chair of the Joint Committee on Public Service, hasn’t formally announced his intent to run for reelection as of Tuesday.
18th Suffolk District
Who’s voting: Southeast Cambridge, including Ward 1, precinct 2A, and Ward 5, precinct 2. The rest of the district covers Boston.
Who’s running: Incumbent Michael Moran is running for reelection. He is also without a challenger so far. Moran was elected in a 2005 special election, handily beat a challenger the next year and has not faced a challenge since. Moran is running for reelection and has fully filed as of Tuesday, the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s media rep confirmed.
In the Senate, it’s a race for Jehlen’s open seat: plus, a contest in Suffolk and Middlesex
2nd Middlesex District
Who’s voting: All of Somerville! Cambridge residents in Ward 7, precinct 1; Ward 8, precinct 1; Ward 10; and Ward 11 are also represented here.
Who’s running: Christine Barber and Erika Uyterhoeven, who currently serve the House in the 34th and 27th Middlesex Districts, respectively, will leave their seats to run for the Senate’s 2nd Middlesex District. Barber, elected in 2014, currently serves as Chairperson of the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. After a primary challenge in 2020, she’s been unopposed since then. Uyterhoeven was elected in 2020.
They’re joined in the race by Cambridge Vice Mayor Burhan Azeem, Somerville City Councilor Matt McLaughlin, and Winchester School Committee member Tom Hopcroft. Azeem was elected to the Cambridge city council in 2021, while McLaughlin was elected to represent Somerville’s Ward 1 in 2013. Hopcroft was elected to the school committee in 2021.
The 2nd Middlesex District has been served by Patricia Jehlen for 20 years. Jehlen, 82, announced in December that she would not seek reelection.
Cambridge resident Neheet Trivedi told Cambridge Day in January that he was also considering a run for the seat. He’s since decided not to run and has endorsed Azeem, he told Cambridge Day Monday.
Middlesex and Suffolk District
Who’s voting: If you live in Cambridge east of Harvard Square, you’re probably in the Middlesex and Suffolk District. This district includes Wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; Ward 7, precincts 2, 2A, and 3; and Ward 8, precinct 3. Bits of Boston, as well as all of Chelsea and Everett, are also included.
Who’s running: Incumbent Sal DiDomenico will seek another term. DiDomenico has served in the Senate since 2010 and has run unopposed since then. He’s Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Bills in the Third Reading and Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ethics. A challenger has not yet come forward.
Suffolk and Middlesex District
Who’s voting: Many in west Cambridge are here, including Ward 8, precinct 2, and Ward 9. The district covers all of Belmont and Watertown as well as some of Boston.
Who’s running: Incumbent William Brownsberger will be challenged by Daniel Lander. Brownsberger, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on the Census, was elected to the Senate in 2012 following three terms as state representative for the 24th Middlesex District and has run unopposed since. Lander, an aide to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, told Cambridge Day in December that he was frustrated with the “status quo” and positioned himself as part of a young, progressive movement.
As of Tuesday morning, Brownsberger had fully filed to run for the seat, according to the Commonwealth’s media office.
(Disclosure: Lander’s mother, Lori Lander, is on the Local News Fund Advisory Board at the Cambridge Community Foundation, which has given financial support to Cambridge Day.)
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