2018 Massachusetts elections

2018 Massachusetts elections
U.S. Congress · Public domain · source
Election name	2018 Massachusetts elections
Type	general
Election date	November 6, 2018
Previous election	2016 Massachusetts elections
Previous year	2016
Next election	2020 Massachusetts elections
Next year	2020
Seats for election	All 9 U.S. House seats, 1 U.S. Senate seat, all 200 seats in the Massachusetts General Court, and various local offices.
Turnout	60.0%

2018 Massachusetts elections were held on November 6, 2018, as part of the nationwide 2018 United States elections. The elections were notable for the re-election of the state's incumbent Republican governor and the decisive victory of its senior Democratic senator. All of the state's congressional seats and the entire Massachusetts General Court were also contested, alongside several significant ballot questions.

Governor and lieutenant governor

The gubernatorial election saw incumbent Charlie Baker, a popular moderate Republican, and his lieutenant governor, Karyn Polito, defeat the Democratic ticket of Jay Gonzalez, a former state budget chief, and his running mate, Quentin Palfrey. Baker's victory, achieved in the heavily Democratic state of Massachusetts, was attributed to his high approval ratings and a campaign focused on bipartisan management of the state's economy and the opioid crisis. The election was one of the most expensive in state history, with significant spending by both campaigns and outside groups like the Republican Governors Association. Baker's win made him the first Republican governor in the state to win re-election since William Weld in 1994.

United States Senate

In the United States Senate election, incumbent Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren decisively won a second term, defeating Republican nominee Geoff Diehl, a state representative. Warren, a prominent national figure and potential presidential candidate, campaigned on her record of consumer advocacy and opposition to the policies of President Donald Trump. Diehl, who was endorsed by Trump, focused on state issues like taxes and immigration. The race was also notable for the presence of a third-party candidate, Shiva Ayyadurai, who ran as an independent. Warren's substantial victory margin was seen as strengthening her position within the national Democratic Party.

United States House of Representatives

All nine of Massachusetts' seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election. The Democratic Party maintained its overwhelming dominance in the state's congressional delegation, holding all nine seats. Notable races included the re-election of veteran representatives like Richard Neal in the 1st district, Jim McGovern in the 2nd district, and Stephen Lynch in the 8th district. In the open 7th district, longtime incumbent Mike Capuano was defeated in the Democratic primary by Boston City Councilor Ayanna Pressley, who then won the general election unopposed, becoming the first African American woman elected to Congress from Massachusetts.

State legislature

Elections were held for all 200 seats of the Massachusetts General Court, comprising the 40-member Massachusetts Senate and the 160-member Massachusetts House of Representatives. Democrats retained their commanding supermajorities in both chambers. Key leadership positions, including Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Robert DeLeo, remained unchanged. Several progressive challengers mounted primary campaigns against more conservative Democratic incumbents, part of a national trend, though most incumbents prevailed. The results ensured continued Democratic control over the state's legislative agenda in Boston.

Ballot questions

Voters decided on three statewide ballot questions. Question 1, which proposed strict nurse-to-patient staffing ratios for hospitals, was defeated after an expensive opposition campaign led by the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association. Question 2, which established a citizens' commission to advance an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to limit the influence of money in politics, was approved. Question 3, which sought to uphold a 2016 state law prohibiting discrimination against transgender individuals in public accommodations, was approved by a wide margin, preserving protections for the LGBT community. These questions drew significant attention and spending from groups like ACLU Massachusetts and the Freedom for All Massachusetts coalition.

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