Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district is located in

central Massachusetts Central Massachusetts is the geographically central region of Massachusetts. Though definitions vary, most include all of Worcester County and the northwest corner of Middlesex County. Worcester, the largest city in the area, and the seat of Wor ...

, encompassing much of

Franklin Franklin may refer to: People and characters * Franklin (given name), including list of people and characters with the name * Franklin (surname), including list of people and characters with the name * Franklin (class), a member of a historic ...

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...

, and

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engl ...

counties, as well as small portions of

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

and

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

Counties. The largest municipalities in the district include

(which is the second-largest city in

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

after

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

Leominster Leominster ( ) is a market town in Herefordshire, England; it is located at the confluence of the River Lugg and its tributary the River Kenwater. The town is north of Hereford and south of Ludlow in Shropshire. With a population of almos ...

, Amherst,

Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , ) is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire (district), Shropshire, England. It is sited on the River Severn, northwest of Wolverhampton, west of Telford, southeast of Wrexham and north of Hereford. At the 2021 United ...

, and

Northampton Northampton ( ) is a town and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is the county town of Northamptonshire and the administrative centre of the Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority of West Northamptonshire. The town is sit ...

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

Jim McGovern has represented the district since 2013; he previously represented the 3rd district since 1997.

Cities and towns represented

As of the 2021 redistricting, the 2nd district includes 68 municipalities: Franklin County (22) : Ashfield, Bernardston, Buckland, Colrain,

Conway Conway may refer to: Places United States * Conway, Arkansas * Conway County, Arkansas * Lake Conway, Arkansas * Conway, Florida * Conway, Iowa * Conway, Kansas * Conway, Louisiana * Conway, Massachusetts * Conway, Michigan * Conway Townshi ...

, Deerfield,

Erving Erving may refer to: People * Cameron Erving (born 1992), American football player * George W. Erving (1769–1850), American diplomat * Joona Erving (born 1994), Finnish hockey player * Julius Erving (born 1950), American basketball player, also k ...

Gill A gill () is a respiration organ, respiratory organ that many aquatic ecosystem, aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow r ...

, Greenfield,

Heath A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and is characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a coole ...

, Leverett,

Leyden Leiden ( ; ; in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. The municipality of Leiden has a population of 127,046 (31 January 2023), but the city forms one densely connecte ...

, Montague, New Salem, Northfield,

Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower ** Orange juice *Orange (colour), the color of an orange fruit, occurs between red and yellow in the vi ...

, Shelburne,

Shutesbury Shutesbury is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,717 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield metropolitan area, Massachusetts. History For at least 2,000 years, Nipmuc towns along the Towanu ...

Sunderland Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...

Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon, Warwickshire, River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined wit ...

Wendell Wendell may refer to: Places in the United States *Wendell, Idaho *Wendell, Massachusetts *Wendell, Minnesota *Wendell, North Carolina People and fictional characters *Wendell (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name ...

Whatley Whatley may refer to: Places * Whatley, Alabama, a place in the United States * Whatley, Mendip, in the district of Mendip, Somerset, England * Whatley, South Somerset, in the district of South Somerset, Somerset, England People * Whatley (surname ...

Hampshire County (9) : Amherst, Chesterfield, Goshen, Hadley, Hatfield,

, Pelham, Westhampton,

Williamsburg Williamsburg may refer to: Places *Colonial Williamsburg, a living-history museum and private foundation in Virginia *Williamsburg, Brooklyn, neighborhood in New York City *Williamsburg, former name of Kernville (former town), California *Williams ...

Middlesex County (3) : Ashland, Holliston, Hopkinton Norfolk County (1) :

Medway Medway is a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in the ceremonial county of Kent in South East England. It was formed in 1998 by merging the boroughs of City of Roche ...

Worcester County (33) : Athol, Auburn, Barre, Boylston,

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals * Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking * Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil ...

, Grafton, Hardwick,

Holden Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, was an Australian subsidiary company of General Motors. Founded in Adelaide, it was an automobile manufacturer, importer, and exporter that sold cars under its own marque in Australia. It was ...

, Hubbardston,

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...

, Millbury, Northborough, Northbridge,

Oakham Oakham is a market town and civil parish in Rutland (of which it is the county town) in the East Midlands of England. The town is located east of Leicester, southeast of Nottingham and northwest of Peterborough. It had a population of 12,14 ...

, Petersham, Paxton, Phillipston,

Princeton Princeton University is a private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the Unit ...

, Royalston,

Rutland Rutland is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Leicestershire to the north and west, Lincolnshire to the north-east, and Northamptonshire to the south-west. Oakham is the largest town and county town. Rutland has a ...

, Southborough,

Sterling Sterling may refer to: Currency * The English penny, historically known as the ''sterling'' * Pound sterling, the currency of the United Kingdom * Sterling silver, a grade of silver Places United Kingdom * Stirling, a Scottish city whose al ...

Sutton Sutton (''south settlement'' or ''south town'' in Old English) may refer to: Places United Kingdom England In alphabetical order by county: * Sutton, Bedfordshire * Sutton, Berkshire, a List of United Kingdom locations: Stu-Sz#Su, location * S ...

, Templeton, Upton,

Uxbridge Uxbridge () is a suburban town in west London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon, northwest of Charing Cross. Uxbridge formed part of the parish of Hillingdon in the county of Middlesex. As part ...

, Webster (part; also

1st First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...

), West Boylston,

Westborough Westborough is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 21,567 at the 2020 census, in over 7,000 households. Incorporated in 1717, the town is governed under the New England open town meeting system, headed ...

Westminster Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...

(part; also 3rd),

History of District Boundaries

1795 to 1803

Known as the 2nd Western District.

1803 to 1813

Known as the "Essex North" district.

1813 to 1833

Known as the "Essex South" district. From 1813-1815, the district was shaped in such a way that poet and

Federalist The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters call themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of deep ...

Richard Alsop described it as a "Gerry-mander" (a portmanteau of

Gerry Gerry is both a surname and a masculine or feminine given name. As a given name, it is often a short form (hypocorism) of Gerard, Gerald or Geraldine. Notable people with the name include: Surname *Elbridge Gerry (1744–1814), fifth US vice pres ...

—the governor at the time—and

salamander Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by their lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults. All t ...

). Illustrator

Elkanah Tisdale Elkanah Tisdale (1768 – May 1, 1835) was an American engraver, miniature painter and cartoonist. He was known for the famous cartoon "The Gerry-Mander", published in the ''Boston Gazette'' on March 26, 1812, which led to the coining of th ...

subsequently used the term as the basis for a political cartoon, which popularized it and led to "

gerrymandering Gerrymandering, ( , originally ) defined in the contexts of Representative democracy, representative electoral systems, is the political manipulation of Boundary delimitation, electoral district boundaries to advantage a Political party, pa ...

" being used to describe the practice of manipulating electoral district boundaries to gain a political advantage.

1843 to 1853

1842 District 2 detail of Congressional Districts of Massachusetts map LC g3761f ct002131

The Act of September 16, 1842, established the district on the North Shore and

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

border, with the following municipalities: * In Essex County: Beverly, Danvers,

Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...

Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in Suffolk, England. It is the county town, and largest in Suffolk, followed by Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds, and the third-largest population centre in East Anglia, ...

, Lynn, Lynnfield,

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

, Marblehead, Middleton, Rockport, Salem, Saugus, Topsfield, and Wenham * In Middlesex County: Malden, Medford,

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...

, South Reading, and Stoneham * In Suffolk County: Chelsea

1860s

"Parts of the counties of Bristol, Norfolk, and Plymouth."

1870s–1900s

1903 to 1913

1901 District 2 detail of Massachusetts Congressional Districts map BPL 12688

During this decade, the district contained the following municipalities: * In Franklin County: Erving, Leverett, Montague, New Salem, Northfield, Orange, Shutesbury, Sunderland, Warwick, and Wendell * In Hampshire County: Amherst, Belchertown, Easthampton, Enfield, Granby, Hadley, Northampton, Pelham,

Prescott Prescott may refer to: People Given name * Prescott E. Bloom, American lawyer and politician * Prescott Bush, American banker and politician * Samuel Prescott Bush, American industrialist * Prescott F. Hall, American lawyer, author and eugenicist ...

South Hadley South Hadley (, ) is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,150 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield metropolitan area, Massachusetts. South Hadley is home to Mount Holyoke College, South ...

, and

Ware WARE (1250 AM) is a commercial radio station broadcasting a classic hits format. Licensed to Ware, Massachusetts, United States, the station serves the Springfield radio market. The station is currently owned by Success Signal Broadcasting ...

* In Hampden County: Brimfield, Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Hampden,

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...

Longmeadow Longmeadow is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 15,853 at the 2020 census. History Longmeadow was first settled in 1644, and officially incorporated October 17, 1783. The town was originally farmland wit ...

Ludlow Ludlow ( ) is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire (district), Shropshire, England. It is located south of Shrewsbury and north of Hereford, on the A49 road (Great Britain), A49 road which bypasses the town. The town is near the conf ...

, Monson,

Palmer Palmer may refer to: People and fictional characters * Palmer (pilgrim), a medieval European pilgrim to the Holy Land * Palmer (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Palmer (surname), including a list of people and f ...

, Springfield,

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

, and Wilbraham * In Worcester County: Athol, Barre, Brookfield, Dana, Hardwick, New Braintree, North Brookfield, Oakham, Petersham, Phillipston, Royalston,

Warren Warren most commonly refers to: * Warren (burrow), a network dug by rabbits * Warren (name), a given name and a surname, including lists of persons so named Warren may also refer to: Places Australia * Warren (biogeographic region) * War ...

, and West Brookfield.

1913 to 1923

During this decade, the district contained the following municipalities: * In Franklin County: Bernardston, Deerfield, Erving, Gill, Leverett, Montague, Northfield, Shutesbury, Sunderland, Warwick, Wendell, and Whately * In Hampshire County: Amherst, Belchertown, Easthampton, Enfield, Granby, Hadley, Hatfield, Northampton, Pelham, South Hadley, Ware, and Williamsburg * In Hampden County: Agawam, Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Hampden, Longmeadow, Ludlow, Springfield, West Springfield, and Wilbraham

1920s–2002

2003 to 2013

During this decade, the district contained the following municipalities: * In Hampden County: Agawam, Brimfield, Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Hampden, Holland, Longmeadow, Ludlow, Monson, Palmer, Springfield, Wales, Wilbraham * In Hampshire County: Hadley, Northampton, South Hadley * In Norfolk County: Bellingham * In Worcester County: Blackstone, Brookfield,

Charlton Charlton may refer to: People * Charlton (surname) * Charlton (given name) Places Australia * Charlton, Queensland * Charlton, Victoria * Division of Charlton, an electoral district in the Australian House of Representatives, in New South Wales ...

, Douglas,

Dudley Dudley ( , ) is a market town in the West Midlands, England, southeast of Wolverhampton and northwest of Birmingham. Historically part of Worcestershire, the town is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley. In the ...

, East Brookfield, Grafton, Hopedale, Leicester, Mendon,

Milford Milford may refer to: Place names Canada * Milford (Annapolis), Nova Scotia * Milford (Halifax), Nova Scotia * Milford, Ontario England * Milford, Derbyshire * Milford, Devon, a place in Devon * Milford on Sea, Hampshire * Milford, Shro ...

, Millbury, Millville, North Brookfield, Northbridge,

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

, Southbridge, Spencer,

Sturbridge Sturbridge is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is home to Old Sturbridge Village living museum, living history museum and other sites of historical interest such as Tantiusques. The pop ...

, Sutton, Upton, Uxbridge, Warren, Webster

2013 to 2023

After the 2010 census, the shape of the district changed for the elections of 2012. The updated district covered central Massachusetts, including much of Worcester County, and was largely the successor to the old 3rd District. Most of the old 2nd district, including Springfield, was moved into the updated 1st district. During this decade, the district contained the following municipalities: * In Franklin County: Deerfield, Erving, Gill, Greenfield, Leverett, Montague, New Salem, Northfield, Orange, Shutesbury, Sunderland, Wendell, Warwick, and Whately * In Hampden County: Precinct 1 in Palmer * In Hampshire County: Amherst, Belchertown, Hadley, Hatfield, Northampton, Pelham, and Ware * In Norfolk County: Precincts 4 and 5 in Bellingham * In Worcester County: Athol, Auburn, Barre, Blackstone, Boylston, Douglas, Grafton, Hardwick, Holden, Hubbardston, Leicester, Leominster, Mendon, Millbury, Millville, Northborough, Northbridge, North Brookfield, Oakham, Oxford, Paxton, Petersham, Phillipston, Princeton, Royalston, Rutland, Shrewsbury, Spencer, Sterling, Sutton, Templeton, Upton, Uxbridge, Webster, West Boylston, Westborough, Precinct 1 in Winchendon, and Worcester.

Recent election results from statewide races

List of members representing the district

Recent election results

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

2018

2020

2022

2024

References

* *
Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present

External links

CNN.com 2004 election results

CNN.com 2006 election resultsMap of Massachusetts's 2nd Congressional District, 2003–2013
via Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth * * {{coord, 42, 23, 06, N, 72, 07, 07, W, region:US_type:city_source:kolossus-eswiki, display=title 02 Springfield, Massachusetts Government of Hampden County, Massachusetts Government of Hampshire County, Massachusetts Government of Norfolk County, Massachusetts Government in Worcester County, Massachusetts Princeton, Massachusetts 1789 establishments in Massachusetts Constituencies established in 1789