Massachusetts general election, 2010

United States Senate

Neither of Massachusetts's two seats in the United States Senate was up for election in the 2010 general election. In January 2010, Republican Scott Brown won a special election to fill the seat of Ted Kennedy.

United States House of Representatives

All of Massachusetts's ten seats in the United States House of Representatives are up for election in 2010. All of the incumbent Representatives are seeking re-election, with the exception of Bill Delahunt of District 10. Massachusetts is expected to lose one congressional seat in the redistricting that will follow the 2010 census.

All ten seats were won by Democrats.

State

All statewide offices were won by Democrats. The Senate and the House were overwhelmingly won by Democrats as well.

Governor

Governor Deval Patrick sought re-election. He was challenged by former Green-Rainbow Party co-chair Grace Ross in the Democratic primary, but she failed to get enough signatures on her nomination petition.

Former Harvard Pilgrim Health Care CEO Charlie Baker was the Republican candidate for Governor. Convenience store franchise owner Christy Mihos dropped out of the race after a poor showing at the 2010 Massachusetts Republican Convention.

State Treasurer Tim Cahill left the Democratic Party in September 2009 ran as an independent candidate.

Physician, activist, and Green-Rainbow Party co-chair Jill Stein ran as the Green-Rainbow candidate.

Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray sought re-election. He was challenged in the general election by Massachusetts Senate Minority Leader Richard R. Tisei (Republican), former State Representative Paul Loscocco (Independent), and surgery clerk and ergonomics assessor Richard P. Purcell (Green-Rainbow).

Secretary of the Commonwealth

Democratic incumbent William F. Galvin sought re-election. He was opposed by Woburn City Clerk William Campbell, who ran as a Republican. and James D. Henderson, who ran as an independent.

Attorney General

Attorney General Martha Coakley, a Democrat, sought re-election. The Republicans did not formally nominate a candidate at their convention nor has any candidate collected enough signatures to be on the primary ballot. Nevertheless, two late entry candidates, Jim McKenna, and Guy Carbone were seeking to get the nomination if they can receive 10,000 write-in votes. James McKenna received 27,711 certified write-in votes, which was a United States and Massachusetts Electoral record. The ballot then listed Martha Coakley (D) and James McKenna (R)

Coakley was re-elected.

Treasurer

Treasurer Tim Cahill retired to run for Governor.

Former Democratic National Committee National Chairman Steve Grossman won the Democratic primary against Boston City Councilor Stephen J. Murphy, and was opposed by Republican State Representative Karyn Polito (of Shrewsbury) in the general election. Grossman won.

Auditor

Auditor Joe DeNucci retired.

Mary Z. Connaughton, former board member of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and Kamal Jain, the 2002 Libertarian candidate for auditor and current operations and customer service manager for Vivox competed for the Republican nomination.

Suzanne Bump (former Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development), Guy Glodis (Worcester County Sheriff), and Mike Lake (Clinton-era White House intern) competed for the Democratic nomination.

Nathanael Fortune, the Green-Rainbow Party nominee, also appeared on the November ballot.

Bump won.

Massachusetts Senate

All 40 seats in the Massachusetts Senate were up for election in 2010.

Massachusetts House of Representatives

All 160 seats in the Massachusetts House of Representatives were up for election in 2010.

Ballot measures

There were three statewide ballot questions, all initiatives. Question 1 passed, but Questions 2 and 3 failed.

Question 1 repealed the sales tax on alcohol. Question 2 would have repealled an affordable housing statute. Question 3 would have lowered the sales tax rate.

County

Counties in Massachusetts will elect County Commissioners, District Attorneys, and Sheriffs.