Massachusetts Senate
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. All but one of the districts are named for the counties in which they are located. Senators serve two-year terms, without term limits. The Senate convenes in the Massachusetts State House, in Boston.
The current session is the 191st General Court, which convened January 2, 2019. It consists of 36 Democrats and 4 Republicans. The President of the Senate is Karen E. Spilka of Ashland. The Senate Minority Leader, from the Republican Party, is Bruce Tarr of Gloucester. The last state general election was on November 6, 2018.
Qualifactions
The following are the qualifications to be elected to the Massachusetts Senate:- Be eighteen 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
Current leadership
Position | Leader | Municipality | Party |
President of the Senate | Karen E. Spilka | Ashland | Democratic |
Majority Leader | Cynthia Stone Creem | Newton | Democratic |
President Pro Tempore | William N. Brownsberger | Belmont | Democratic |
Senate President Emerita | Harriette L. Chandler | Worcester | Democratic |
Assistant Majority Leader | Joan B. Lovely | Salem | Democratic |
Assistant Majority Leader | Michael J. Barrett | Lexington | Democratic |
Assistant Majority Leader | Sal N. DiDomenico | Everett | Democratic |
Majority Whip | Michael F. Rush | West Roxbury | Democratic |
Assistant Majority Whip | Julian Cyr | Truro | Democratic |
Senate Ways and Means Chair | Michael J. Rodrigues | Westport | Democratic |
Senate Ways and Means Vice Chair | Cindy F. Friedman | Arlington | Democratic |
Minority Leader | Bruce E. Tarr | Gloucester | Republican |
Assistant Minority Leader | Ryan C. Fattman | Sutton | Republican |
Minority Whip | Patrick M. O'Connor | Weymouth | Republican |
Assistant Minority Whip | Vacant | Republican | |
Senate Ways & Means Ranking Member | Vacant | Republican | |
- | - | - | Republican |
Committees
The current standing committees of the Massachusetts Senate are as follows:Committee | Chair | Vice Chair | Ranking Minority |
Bills in the Third Reading | Sal N. DiDomenico | Harriette L. Chandler | Bruce Tarr |
Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets | Michael O. Moore | Nick Collins | Vacant |
Ethics | Eric P. Lesser | Cynthia Stone Creem | Vacant |
Global Warming and Climate Change | Marc R. Pacheco | Michael J. Barrett | Patrick O'Connor |
Intergovernmental Affairs | Michael F. Rush | Sal N. DiDomenico | Dean Tran |
Personnel and Administration | Cynthia Stone Creem | Joan B. Lovely | Patrick O'Connor |
Post Audit and Oversight | John F. Keenan | Paul R. Feeney | Ryan C. Fattman |
Redistricting | William N. Brownsberger | Adam G. Hinds | Bruce Tarr |
Rules | Joan B. Lovely | Joseph A. Boncore | Ryan C. Fattman |
Steering, Policy and Scheduling | Mark C. Montigny | Michael J. Rodrigues | Bruce Tarr |
Ways and Means | Michael J. Rodrigues | Cindy F. Friedman | Vacant |
Current members
Current members of the Senate, sorted by district name:* Originally elected in a special electionPast composition of the Senate