10 seats, 100.0% 0 seats, 0.0% 9 0 66.04% 29.67% Start date November 6, 2012 | 10 0 1,544,103 693,624 8.56% 9.18% | |
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The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Massachusetts were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012 to elect the nine U.S. Representatives from the state of Massachusetts, a loss of one seat following the 2010 Census, for service in the 113th Congress from January 3, 2013 to January 3, 2015. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial presidential election. The candidate elected in each of the state's congressional districts was a member the Democratic Party.
Contents
- District 1
- District 2
- District 3
- District 4
- District 5
- District 6
- District 7
- District 8
- District 9
- References
Primary elections were held on September 6, 2012. This primary was on a Thursday, which is rare in Massachusetts, and it was moved from Tuesday, September 18, 2012 because of a conflicting religious holiday.
District 1
Democrat Richard Neal, who has represented the 2nd district since 1989, was redistricted into the 1st district. He ran for re-election.
Middle Berkshire Register of Deeds Andrea F. Nuciforo Jr., a former state senator; and Bill Shein, a writer, also sought the Democratic nomination. Neal won renomination and was unopposed in the general election.
District 2
Since 1991, Democrat John Olver, has represented the 1st district, most of which remains in the proposed new 1st district. He was to have been redistricted to the 2nd district, except that he announced his retirement two weeks before the new districts were proposed.
Democrat Jim McGovern, who was redistricted from the 3rd district, ran for re-election. McGovern easily won renomination over newcomer William Feegbeh, and was unopposed in the general election.
District 3
Democrat Niki Tsongas, who was redistricted from the 5th district, ran for re-election. She was unopposed in the primary.
Jon Golnik, a business consultant who challenged Tsongas as the Republican nominee in the 5th district in 2010, and Tom Weaver, a businessman who also ran as a Republican in the 5th district in 2010, both ran again. Golnik won the GOP nomination and faced Tsongas in the general election.
District 4
Democrat Barney Frank, who has represented the 4th district since 1981, retired rather than run for re-election.
Seeking the Democratic nomination were: Rachel Brown LaRouche activist who challenged Frank for the Democratic nomination in 2010; Herb Robinson, a software engineer; and Joseph Kennedy III, a Middlesex County assistant district attorney.
Seeking the Republican nomination were: Sean Bielat, a technology executive who challenged Frank in 2010; Elizabeth Childs, a psychiatrist and member of the Brookline School Committee; and David Steinhof, a dentist.
Kennedy and Bielat won their nominations.
District 5
Democrat Ed Markey was redistricted from the 7th district, having represented it since 1976. Jeff Semon, a financial consultant, sought the Republican nomination to challenge Markey.
Gerry Dembrowski, a physician who unsuccessfully challenged Markey as the Republican nominee in 2010, was in the race, but dropped out to run for a seat in the Massachusetts Senate.
Tom Tierney, a consulting actuary, was the Republican nominee.
District 6
Democrat John Tierney has represented the 6th district since 1997. Richard R. Tisei, the Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor in the 2010 Massachusetts gubernatorial election challenged him. Daniel Fishman, a Libertarian candidate, who has never run for office before also ran.
Bill Hudak, a Tea Party-endorsed lawyer who unsuccessfully challenged Tierney as the Republican nominee in 2010 announced his candidacy on March 2, 2011, but withdrew on January 23, 2012 to pursue "a business opportunity".
Veteran and military commentator Seth Moulton considered running in the general election as an Independent, but decided against it in July 2012, citing the short time frame left for him to mount a serious campaign.
District 7
In the redistricting Act, this district became a majority-minority district, increasing its reach over several minority precincts near Boston. Democrat Mike Capuano, who was redistricted from the 8th district, having represented it since 1999, ran for re-election. Karla Romero, the founding President and CEO of the non-profit Mass Appeal International and a former Miss USA contestant ran as an Independent.
District 8
Democrat Stephen Lynch, who was redistricted from the old 9th district, will run in the 8th district.
Democrat William R. Keating, who was redistricted from the old 10th district, announced that he would move to Cape Cod (where he already has a summer home), and run there, putting him in the new 9th district (most of which includes his incumbent district) instead of competing against Lynch.
Republican Joe Selvaggi, a US Navy veteran of the first Gulf War, Worcester Polytechnic graduate and owner of local business "Plaster Fun Time" sought the Republican nomination to challenge Lynch in the new 8th Congressional District. Matias "Matt" Temperley, an Iraq War veteran and student, also sought the Republican nomination.
District 9
There was no incumbent currently residing in this district, but incumbent Democrat William R. Keating, who has represented most of the district for the last two years when it was the 10th district, has a summer home there. As discussed above, he moved to the 9th District. Bristol County District Attorney Samuel Sutter also sought the Democratic nomination. State senator Mark Montigny may also seek the Democratic nomination. Will Flanagan, the mayor of Fall River; Scott W. Lang, the former mayor of New Bedford; Therese Murray, the President of the Massachusetts Senate; and former state senator Robert O'Leary, will not run.
Adam Chaprales, a former Sandwich Selectman, and Christopher Sheldon, a businessman, are seeking the Republican nomination. Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz may also seek the Republican nomination. State representative Vinny deMacedo; Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson; and former state representative Jeff Perry, who unsuccessfully challenged Keating as the Republican nominee in the 10th district in 2010, will not run.