Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district

Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district is located in central Massachusetts. It contains the cities of Worcester, which is the second-largest city in New England after Boston, and Northampton in the Pioneer Valley. It is represented by Democrat Jim McGovern.

Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district
Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023
Representative	Jim McGovern D–Worcester
Population (2022)	785,076
Median household income	$88,327^[1]
Ethnicity	78.6% White 8.7% Hispanic 5.3% Asian 5.1% Black 1.8% Two or more races 0.4% other
Cook PVI	D+13^[2]

The shape of the district was changed for the elections of 2012, after Massachusetts congressional redistricting to reflect the 2010 census.^[3] The new district covers central Massachusetts, including much of Worcester County, and is largely the successor to the old 3rd District. Most of the old 2nd district, including Springfield, has been moved into the new 1st district.

Recent statewide election results

Year	Office	Result
2000	President	Gore 56–33%
2004	President	Kerry 59–40%
2008	President	Obama 60.4–37.5%
2012	President	Obama 58.7–39.2%
2016	President	Clinton 56.2–36.8%
2020	President	Biden 61.6–35.7%

History

1795 to 1803

Known as the 2nd Western District.^[4]

1803 to 1813

Known as the "Essex North" district.^[4]

1813 to 1833

Known as the "Essex South" district.^[4]

1843 to 1853

 

Detail of the district from 1843 to 1853.

The Act of September 16, 1842, established the district on the North Shore and New Hampshire border, with the following municipalities:^[5]

In Essex County: Beverly, Danvers, Essex, Gloucester, Hamilton, Ipswich, Lynn, Lynnfield, Manchester, Marblehead, Middleton, Rockport, Salem, Saugus, Topsfield, and Wenham

In Middlesex County: Malden, Medford, Reading, South Reading, and Stoneham

In Suffolk County: Chelsea

1860s

"Parts of the counties of Bristol, Norfolk, and Plymouth."^[6]

1870s–1900s

1903 to 1913

 

The district from 1903 to 1913.

During this decade, the district contained the following municipalities:^[7]

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, South Hadley, and Ware.

In Hampden County: Brimfield, Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Hampden, Holland, Longmeadow, Ludlow, Monson, Palmer, Springfield, Wales, and Wilbraham.

In Worcester County: Athol, Barre, Brookfield, Dana, Hardwick, New Braintree, North Brookfield, Oakham, Petersham, Phillipston, Royalston, Warren, and West Brookfield.

1913 to 1923

During this decade, the district contained the following municipalities:^[8]

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

 

The district from 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, Douglas, Dudley, East Brookfield, Grafton, Hopedale, Leicester, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Millville, North Brookfield, Northbridge, Oxford, Southbridge, Spencer, Sturbridge, Sutton, Upton, Uxbridge, Warren, Webster.

Since 2013 ^[9]

In Franklin County: Ashfield, Bernardston, Buckland, Colrain, Conway, Deerfield, Erving, Gill, Greenfield, Heath, Leverett, Leyden, Montague, New Salem, Northfield, Orange, Shelburne, Shutesbury, Sunderland, Warwick, Wendell, and Whately.

In Hampshire County: Amherst, Chesterfield, Goshen, Hadley, Hatfield, Northampton, Pelham, Westhampton, and Williamsburg.

In Middlesex County: Ashland, Holliston, and Hopkinton.

In Norfolk County: Medway.

In Worcester County: Athol, Auburn, Barre, Boylston, Douglas, Grafton, Hardwick, Holden, Hubbardston, Leicester, Leominster, Millbury, Northborough, Northbridge, Oakham, Paxton, Petersham, Phillipston, Princeton, Royalston, Rutland, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Sterling, Sutton, Templeton, Upton, Uxbridge, Precincts 1, 3, and 4 in Webster, West Boylston, Westborough, Precinct 2A in Westminster, and Worcester.

List of members representing the district

Member	Party		Years	Cong ress	Electoral history	District location
District created March 4, 1789
Benjamin Goodhue (Salem)		Pro-Administration	March 4, 1789 – March 3, 1793	1st 2nd	Elected January 29, 1789, on the second ballot. Re-elected October 4, 1790. Redistricted to the 1st district.	1789–1793 Essex County
Dwight Foster (Brookfield)		Pro-Administration	General ticket: March 4, 1793 – March 3, 1795	3rd	Elected April 1, 1793, on the third ballot as part of the four-seat general ticket, representing the district at-large. Redistricted to the 4th district.	1793–1795 Berkshire County, Worcester County, and Hampshire County
Theodore Sedgwick (Great Barrington)		Pro-Administration			Redistricted from the 4th district and re-elected November 2, 1792, as part of the four-seat general ticket, representing the district from Berkshire County. Redistricted to the 1st district.
Artemas Ward (Shrewsbury)		Pro-Administration			Redistricted from the 7th district and re-elected November 2, 1792, as part of the four-seat general ticket, representing the district from Worcester County. [data missing]
William Lyman (Northampton)		Anti-Administration			Elected April 1, 1793, on the third ballot as part of the four-seat general ticket, representing the district from Hampshire County. Re-elected November 3, 1794, as the sole representative from the district. Lost re-election.
		Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1795 – March 3, 1797	4th		1795–1803 "2nd Western district"
William Shepard (Westfield)		Federalist	March 4, 1797 – March 3, 1803	5th 6th 7th	Elected January 16, 1797, on the second ballot. Re-elected in 1798. Re-elected in 1800. Retired.
Jacob Crowninshield (Salem)		Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1803 – April 15, 1808	8th 9th 10th	Elected in 1802. Re-elected in 1804. Re-elected in 1806. Died.	1803–1823 "Essex South district"
Vacant			April 15, 1808 – May 23, 1808	10th
Joseph Story (Salem)		Democratic-Republican	May 23, 1808 – March 3, 1809		Elected to finish Crowninshield's term. Retired.
Benjamin Pickman Jr. (Salem)		Federalist	March 4, 1809 – March 3, 1811	11th	Elected in 1808. Retired.
William Reed (Marblehead)		Federalist	March 4, 1811 – March 3, 1815	12th 13th	Elected in 1810. Re-elected in 1812. Retired.
Timothy Pickering (Wendham)		Federalist	March 4, 1815 – March 3, 1817	14th	Redistricted from the 3rd district and re-elected in 1814. Lost re-election.
Nathaniel Silsbee (Salem)		Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1817 – March 3, 1821	15th 16th	Elected in 1816. Re-elected in 1818. Retired.
Gideon Barstow (Salem)		Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1821 – March 3, 1823	17th	Elected in 1821 on the third ballot. Retired.
Benjamin W. Crowninshield (Salem)		Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1825	18th 19th 20th 21st	Elected in 1823 on the second ballot. Re-elected in 1824. Re-elected in 1826. Re-elected in 1828. Lost re-election.	1823–1833 "Essex South district"
		Anti-Jacksonian	March 4, 1825 – March 3, 1831
Rufus Choate (Salem)		Anti-Jacksonian	March 4, 1831 – June 30, 1834	22nd 23rd	Elected in 1830. Re-elected in 1833. Resigned.
						1833–1843 [data missing]
Vacant			June 30, 1834 – December 1, 1834	23rd
Stephen C. Phillips (Salem)		Anti-Jacksonian	December 1, 1834 – March 3, 1837	23rd 24th 25th	Elected to finish Choate's term. Also elected to the full term in 1834. Re-elected in 1836. Resigned to become Mayor of Salem.
		Whig	March 4, 1837 – September 28, 1838
Vacant			September 28, 1838 – December 5, 1838	25th
Leverett Saltonstall (Salem)		Whig	December 5, 1838 – March 3, 1843	25th 26th 27th	Elected to finish Phillips's term in 1838 and seated December 5, 1838. Also elected to the full term in 1838. Re-elected in 1840. Lost re-election.
Daniel P. King (South Danvers)		Whig	March 4, 1843 – July 25, 1850	28th 29th 30th 31st	Elected in 1843 on the fourth ballot. Re-elected in 1844. Re-elected in 1846. Re-elected in 1848. Died.	1843–1853 [data missing]
Vacant			July 25, 1850 – March 3, 1851	31st
Robert Rantoul Jr. (Beverly)		Democratic	March 4, 1851 – August 7, 1852	32nd	Elected in 1850. Died.
Vacant			August 7, 1852 – December 13, 1852
Francis B. Fay (Chelsea)		Whig	December 13, 1852 – March 3, 1853		Elected to finish Rantoul's term. Retired.
Samuel L. Crocker (Taunton)		Whig	March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855	33rd	Elected in 1852. Lost re-election.	1853–1863 [data missing]
James Buffington^[10](Fall River)		Know Nothing	March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1857	34th 35th 36th 37th	Elected in 1854. Re-elected in 1856. Re-elected in 1858. Re-elected in 1860. Retired.
		Republican	March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1863
Oakes Ames^[6] (North Easton)		Republican	March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1873	38th 39th 40th 41st 42nd	Elected in 1862. Re-elected in 1864. Re-elected in 1866. Re-elected in 1868. Re-elected in 1870. Retired.	1863–1873 [data missing]
Benjamin W. Harris^[11]^[12] (East Bridgewater)		Republican	March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1883	43rd 44th 45th 46th 47th	Elected in 1872. Re-elected in 1874. Re-elected in 1876. Re-elected in 1878. Re-elected in 1880. Retired.	1873–1883 [data missing]
John D. Long (Hingham)		Republican	March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1889	48th 49th 50th	Elected in 1882. Re-elected in 1884. Re-elected in 1886. Retired.	1883–1893 [data missing]
Elijah A. Morse (Canton)		Republican	March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1893	51st 52nd	Elected in 1888. Re-elected in 1890. Redistricted to the 12th district.
Frederick H. Gillett^[13]^[14] (Springfield)		Republican	March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1925	53rd 54th 55th 56th 57th 58th 59th 60th 61st 62nd 63rd 64th 65th 66th 67th 68th	Elected in 1892. Re-elected in 1894. Re-elected in 1896. Re-elected in 1898. Re-elected in 1900. Re-elected in 1902. Re-elected in 1904. Re-elected in 1906. Re-elected in 1908. Re-elected in 1910. Re-elected in 1912. Re-elected in 1914. Re-elected in 1916. Re-elected in 1918. Re-elected in 1920. Re-elected in 1922. Retired to run for U.S. senator.	1893–1903 [data missing]
						1903–1913 [data missing]
						1913–1933 [data missing]
George B. Churchill (Amherst)		Republican	March 4, 1925 – July 1, 1925	69th	Elected in 1924. Died.
Vacant			July 1, 1925 – September 29, 1925
Henry L. Bowles (Springfield)		Republican	September 29, 1925 – March 3, 1929	69th 70th	Elected to finish Churchill's term. Re-elected in 1926. Retired.
Will Kirk Kaynor (Springfield)		Republican	March 4, 1929 – December 20, 1929	71st	Elected in 1928. Died.
Vacant			December 20, 1929 – February 11, 1930
William J. Granfield (Springfield)		Democratic	February 11, 1930 – January 3, 1937	71st 72nd 73rd 74th	Elected to finish Kaynor's term. Also elected to full term in 1930. Re-elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1934. Retired.
						1933–1943 [data missing]
Charles R. Clason^[15] (Springfield)		Republican	January 3, 1937 – January 3, 1949	75th 76th 77th 78th 79th 80th	Elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1944. Re-elected in 1946. Lost re-election.
						1943–1953 [data missing]
Foster Furcolo (Longmeadow)		Democratic	January 3, 1949 – September 30, 1952	81st 82nd	Elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1950. Retired and then resigned early when appointed State Treasurer.
Vacant			September 30, 1952 – January 3, 1953	82nd
Edward Boland^[16] (Springfield)		Democratic	January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1989	83rd 84th 85th 86th 87th 88th 89th 90th 91st 92nd 93rd 94th 95th 96th 97th 98th 99th 100th	Elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Re-elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Re-elected in 1972. Re-elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1980. Re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Retired.	1953–1963 [data missing]
						1963–1973 [data missing]
						1973–1983 [data missing]
						1983–1993 [data missing]
Richard Neal^[17] (Springfield)		Democratic	January 3, 1989 – January 3, 2013	101st 102nd 103rd 104th 105th 106th 107th 108th 109th 110th 111th 112th	Elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Re-elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Redistricted to the 1st district.
						1993–2003 [data missing]
						2003–2013
Jim McGovern (Worcester)		Democratic	January 3, 2013 – present	113th 114th 115th 116th 117th 118th	Redistricted from the 3rd district and re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022.	2013–2023
						2023–present

Recent election results

1988

2nd district election in 1988

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Richard Neal	156,262	80.23
	Republican	Louis R. Godena	38,446	19.74
	Write-in		52	0.01
Majority			117,816	60.40
Turnout
	Democratic hold

1990

2nd district election in 1990

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Richard Neal (Incumbent)	134,152	67.99	−12.24
	Write-in		63,169	32.01	+32.00
Majority			70,983	35.98	−24.42
Turnout			197,321
	Democratic hold		Swing

1992

2nd district election in 1992

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Richard Neal (Incumbent)	131,215	53.09	−14.90
	Republican	Anthony W. Ravosa, Jr.	76,795	31.07	+31.07
	Independent	Thomas R. Sheehan	38,963	15.76	+15.76
	Write-in		190	0.07	−31.94
Majority			54,420	22.02	−13.96
Turnout			247,163
	Democratic hold		Swing

1994

2nd district election in 1994

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Richard Neal (Incumbent)	117,178	58.55	+5.46
	Republican	John M. Briare	72,732	36.34	+5.27
	Natural Law	Kate Ross	10,167	5.08	+5.08
	Write-in		46	0.02	−0.05
Majority			44,446	22.21	+0.19
Turnout			200,123
	Democratic hold		Swing

1996

2nd district election in 1996

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Richard Neal (Incumbent)	162,995	71.67	+13.12
	Republican	Mark Steele	49,885	21.94	−14.40
	Independent	Scott Andrichak	9,181	4.04	+4.04
	Natural Law	Richard Kaynor	5,124	2.25	−2.83
	Write-in		226	0.10	+0.08
Majority			113,110	49.74	+27.53
Turnout			227,411
	Democratic hold		Swing

1998

2nd district election in 1998

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Richard Neal (Incumbent)	130,550	98.95	+27.28
	Write-in		1,383	1.05	+0.95
Majority			129,167	97.90	+48.16
Turnout			131,933
	Democratic hold		Swing

2000

2nd district election in 2000

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Richard Neal (Incumbent)	196,670	98.91	−0.04
	Write-in		2,176	1.09	+0.04
Majority			194,494	97.81	−0.09
Turnout			253,867
	Democratic hold		Swing

2002

2nd district election in 2002

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Richard Neal (Incumbent)	153,387	99.13	+0.22
	Write-in		1,341	0.87	−0.22
Majority			152,046	98.26	+0.45
Turnout			208,498
	Democratic hold		Swing

2004

2nd district election in 2004

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Richard Neal (Incumbent)	217,682	98.96	−0.17
	Write-in		2,282	1.04	+0.17
Majority			227,183	97.92	−0.34
Turnout			287,871
	Democratic hold		Swing

2006

2nd district election in 2006

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Richard Neal (Incumbent)	164,939	98.65	−0.31
	Write-in		2,254	1.35	+0.31
Majority			162,685	97.30	−0.62
Turnout			214,939
	Democratic hold		Swing

2008

2nd district election in 2008

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Richard Neal (Incumbent)	234,369	98.47	−0.18
	Write-in		3,631	1.53	+0.18
Majority			230,738	96.95	−0.35
Turnout			306,820
	Democratic hold		Swing

2010

2nd district election in 2010

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Richard Neal (Incumbent)	122,751	57.33	−41.14
	Republican	Thomas A. Wesley	91,209	42.60	+42.60
	Write-in		164	0.08	−1.45
Majority			31,542	14.73	−82.12
Turnout			220,424
	Democratic hold		Swing

2012

2nd district election in 2012^[18][19]
This election followed redistricting.

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jim McGovern (Incumbent)	259,257	98.5
	Write-in		4,078	1.5
Total votes			263,335	100
Turnout
	Democratic hold

2014

2nd district election in 2014^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jim McGovern (Incumbent)	169,640	98.20
	Write-in		3,105	1.80
Total votes			172,745	100
	Democratic hold

2016

2nd district election in 2016^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jim McGovern (Incumbent)	275,487	98.24
	Write-in		4,924	1.76
Total votes			280,411	100
	Democratic hold

2018

2nd district election in 2018

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jim McGovern (incumbent)	191,332	67.2%
	Republican	Tracy Lovvorn	93,391	32.8%
	Independent	Paul Grady
Total votes			293,163

2020

2nd district election in 2020

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jim McGovern (incumbent)	249,854	65.3%
	Republican	Tracy Lovvorn	132,220	34.6%
	Write-in		378	0.1
Total votes			382,452

References

1. "My Congressional District".
2. "2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List". Cook Political Report. July 12, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
3. http://www.sec.state.ma.us/spr/sprcat/catpdf2010/cong2010/CongressionalDistrict_2011State.pdf Access Date March 29, 2012
4. "United States - Massachusetts - MA - District 02". Our Campaigns. April 14, 2011. Retrieved February 11, 2012.
5. "State Apportionment; districts of the Commonwealth for the choice of one representative to Congress in each district". Massachusetts Register ... for 1843. Boston: Loring. 1779.
6. Ben. Perley Poore (1869). "Massachusetts". Congressional Directory for the First Session of the Forty-First Congress (2nd ed.). Washington DC: Government Printing Office. hdl:2027/nyp.33433081796686.
7. "Massachusetts". Official Congressional Directory: 59th Congress (2nd ed.). Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1905.
8. "Massachusetts". Official Congressional Directory: 64th Congress (2nd ed.). Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1916. hdl:2027/uc1.l0075858456.
9. https://www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/elections/voting-information/district/2022-congressional.htm
10. "Massachusetts". Congressional Directory for the Second Session of the Thirty-Seventh Congress. Washington DC: House of Representatives. 1861.
11. Ben. Perley Poore (1878). "Massachusetts". Congressional Directory: 45th Congress (3rd ed.). Washington DC: Government Printing Office. ISBN 978-0-16-041176-2.
12. Ben. Perley Poore (1882). "Massachusetts". Congressional Directory: 47th Congress (3rd ed.). Washington DC: Government Printing Office.
13. L.A. Coolidge (1897). "Massachusetts". Official Congressional Directory: Fifty-Fifth Congress. Washington DC: Government Printing Office.
14. A.J. Halford (1909). "Massachusetts". Congressional Directory: 60th Congress (2nd ed.). Washington DC: Government Printing Office.
15. "Massachusetts". Official Congressional Directory: 75th Congress (2nd ed.). Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1938.
16. "Massachusetts". Official Congressional Directory: 90th Congress. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1968.
17. "Massachusetts". 1991-1992 Official Congressional Directory: 102nd Congress. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1991.
18. "Return of Votes for Massachusetts State Elections, November 6, 2013" (PDF). Secretary of State for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. November 23, 2012. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
19. The totals do not include Blank/Scatterings Ballots although they were reported.
20. "Massachusetts Secretary of State Election Results 2014" (PDF). Massachusetts Secretary of State. November 4, 2014. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
21. "Massachusetts Secretary of State General Election Results 2016". Massachusetts Secretary of State. November 8, 2016. Retrieved December 15, 2016.

• Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district.

• CNN.com 2004 election results
• CNN.com 2006 election results
• , via Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth
• Rose Institute of State and Local Government, , Redistricting by State, Claremont, CA: Claremont McKenna College, archived from the original on September 15, 2020
• "Our Campaigns - United States - Massachusetts - MA - District 02". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved December 31, 2020.

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Missouri's 9th congressional district	Home district of the speaker of the House May 19, 1919 – March 3, 1925	Succeeded by Ohio's 1st congressional district

42°23′06″N 72°07′07″W / 42.38500°N 72.11861°W / 42.38500; -72.11861