The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the
Massachusetts General Court
The Massachusetts General Court (formally styled the General Court of Massachusetts) is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the earliest days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, ...
, the
bicameral
Bicameralism is a type of legislature, one divided into two separate assemblies, chambers, or houses, known as a bicameral legislature. Bicameralism is distinguished from unicameralism, in which all members deliberate and vote as a single gro ...
state legislature of the
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with " republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from th ...
of
. 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. The Senate convenes in the
Massachusetts State House, in Boston.
The current session is the
192nd General Court, which convened January 6, 2021. It consists of 37
Democrats and 3
Republicans
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
. The
President of the Senate is
Karen E. Spilka
Karen Eileen Spilka (born January 11, 1953) is an American politician and attorney serving as a Democratic member of the Massachusetts Senate. She represents the 2nd Middlesex and Norfolk district, which includes the towns of Ashland, Framingha ...
of
Ashland. The Senate
Minority Leader, from the Republican Party, is
Bruce Tarr of
Gloucester. The last state general election was on November 3, 2020.
Qualifications
The following are the qualifications to be elected to the Massachusetts Senate:
* 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.
Current leadership
Committees
The current
standing committees of the Massachusetts Senate are as follows:
Current districts and members
Past composition of the Senate
See also
*
2021–2022 Massachusetts legislature
*
Massachusetts Senate Delegations
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 ...
*
List of former districts of the Massachusetts Senate
*
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into single-member ...
*
Massachusetts Senate elections, 2004
Elections to the 185th Massachusetts Senate were held on November 2, 2004. The Democrats picked up one former Republican seat. The 185th Massachusetts General Court began in January 2005, and consisted of 34 Democrats and 6 Republican State S ...
,
Massachusetts Senate elections, 2006
As a result of the Massachusetts general election, 2006, the Democrats picked up one open seat in the Massachusetts State Senate, the only change from the previous session. The current session began in January, 2007, and consists of 35 Democrat ...
,
Massachusetts Senate elections, 2008
Elections to the 187th Massachusetts State Senate was held on November 4, 2008, the same date as the 2008 Massachusetts House election as well as Federal and Congressional elections. Massachusetts Senators serve two-year terms.
Senate contests ...
,
Massachusetts Senate elections, 2010
In the elections to the Massachusetts State Senate in 2010, the Democrats continued their dominance, winning 36 seats against 4 seats for the Republicans.
Election results
See also
* 2011–2012 Massachusetts legislature
* List of Massachuse ...
References
Further reading
*
2007*
External links
''official government website''
as of 2011
*
*
with names of senators
State Senate of Massachusettsat
Project Vote Smart
*
{{Authority control