Home Elections Democrats expand House edge; one GOP pickup bucks the trend

Democrats expand House edge; one GOP pickup bucks the trend

November 4, 2026

Nov. 4, 2026…..The Republican Party saw a net loss of at least three seats in the Mass. House in Tuesday’s elections, shrinking an already-small caucus.

The loss accounts for at least four seats flipped by Democrats and one seat flipped by a Republican. The minority Republican caucus will decline from 25 members to a maximum 22, increasing what was already set to be another Democratic supermajority for the 2027-2028 legislative session. Both incumbent and new Democrats largely defended districts the party has held.

As of 4 p.m., the Associated Press had not yet called five legislative races. Candidates in each had either claimed victory or conceded.

The race between Republican Rep. John Gaskey and Democrat Sarah Hewins in the Second Plymouth House District was not tracked by the AP. The race had not been called by just before 4:30 p.m., Gaskey told the News Service. The Wareham Week reported Wednesday that it “appeared” that Hewins narrowly defeated Gaskey.

House Speaker Ron Mariano wrote in a statement that the House Democrats “grew our majority by four,” which a spokesperson said included Gaskey’s seat, but did not provide data to back up the contention.

The Senate’s makeup will remain the same, according to AP calls. Sen. Peter Durant of Spencer defended his Worcester and Hampshire Senate seat against Democratic challenger Shannon Teabo. In the First Bristol and Plymouth Senate District, Democrat Senate Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues claimed victory against Republican challenger Gabriel “Boomer” Amaral mid-afternoon Wednesday.

Republican Reps. David Vieira of Falmouth and Marc Lombardo of Billerica will not be returning to the State House in January.

Falmouth Democrat Jack Richardson defeated Vieira in the Third Barnstable House District, the AP called, flipping a seat held by a member of Republican House leadership.

“We kept the issues centered on working people and talking about how Cape Cod has simply become unaffordable,” Richardson said when asked why he thinks his campaign succeeded. His campaign promised that he would work to reduce housing and energy costs, clean Cape waters, “protect our friends and neighbors from ICE,” and defend reproductive rights.

On winning the race and Democrats winning across the country, Richardson said, “We’ve won. [President Donald] Trump has been stopped. What are Democrats now? Democrats have been campaigning as opposition to Trump for 10 years. It’s time for us to have a backbone … and push bold policy solutions.”

Billerica Democrat Daniel Darris-O’Connor declared victory over Lombardo in the 22nd Middlesex House District on Facebook, and Lombardo wrote Wednesday morning that “we just fell short in a very close race.” The AP called the race with nearly all votes reported, showing Darris-O’Connor at 51.3% of the vote to Lombardo’s 48.7%.

The 19-year-old Billerica Select Board member said he knew the race was an “uphill battle” against Lombardo, who has been in the House for 16 years, but that “I think that the district gets a bad rap.”

“I’m a lifelong Billerica resident. There are people of all different backgrounds, ages, races, nationalities that call it home and that’s the same with political affiliations. We get a notion that we’re a conservative town or district, but in recent elections we’ve seen that Democrats can win in Billerica. Republicans can win, too,” Darris-O’Connor said. “I think the voters were fed up with our current representative. My campaign wasn’t focused on Democratic issues or Republican issues, it was really focused on the issues that our town as a whole is facing.”

Two seats held by outgoing GOP leaders also shifted. Joe Markey of Lynnfield defeated Republican Trevor Currier for outgoing House Minority Leader Brad Jones’ Twentieth Middlesex seat, which Jones has held for three decades. Currier told the News Service he conceded to Markey around 11 p.m. Tuesday night, and Markey announced the win on his Facebook. Krista Ferrante of Princeton flipped the First Worcester District seat that’s been held by Republican Rep. Kim Ferguson for 16 years.

One bright spot for the GOP came in the Eighth Bristol House District, where Republican Jesse St. Gelais of Acushnet ousted Democratic Rep. Steven Ouellette of Westport. St. Gelais claimed victory and Ouellette said Wednesday morning that unofficial vote totals showed him losing to St. Gelais, 8,547 votes to St. Gelais’ 9,006. The AP called the race for St. Gelais on Wednesday afternoon.

“I feel great. It’s a true honor. I worked my butt off going to people’s doorsteps, talking to them, meeting people, my campaign was built on bringing government to your doorstep and asking people, ‘How can I help you?'” St. Gelais told the News Service. “Maybe it was a red pickup, or maybe it was the pickup of a hardworking guy.”

St. Gelais, who has a background in the insurance business and ran as an independent candidate in 2024, won his hometown of Acushnet alongside Freetown and New Bedford, while Ouellette won Fall River and his hometown of Westport, according to AP. St. Gelais ran on a slogan of “Conservative Leadership. Common Sense Solutions,” and told voters he would “Demand the Audit.”

Flips and Democratic holds in the Massachusetts House

Nov. 3, 2026 election. Results are based on unofficial vote counts.

Flipped Republican to Democrat (4)
Flipped Democrat to Republican (1)
Open Democrat seat defended (6)
No change

3rd Barnstable Jack Peter Richardson (D) 22nd Middlesex Daniel Darris-O’Connor (D) 1st Worcester Krista Ferrante (D) 20th Middlesex Joe Markey (D) Not yet called by the AP 8th Bristol Jesse St. Gelais (R) 9th Bristol Ed Pacheco (D) 1st Franklin Lora Wondolowski (D) 1st Barnstable Chris Lambton (D) 16th Middlesex Lorena Betts (D) 2nd Worcester Mike Nicholson (D) 18th Essex Connor Murray (D)

Incumbents defeated (3)

District	Winner	Defeated incumbent
3rd Barnstable	Jack Peter Richardson (D), Falmouth	Rep. David Vieira (R)
22nd Middlesex	Daniel Darris-O’Connor (D), Billerica	Rep. Marc Lombardo (R)
8th Bristol	Jesse St. Gelais (R), Acushnet	Rep. Steve Ouellette (D), Westport

Open, contested seats (8)

District	Winner	Defeated	Outgoing or former rep.
1st Worcester	Krista Ferrante (D), Princeton	Stephanie Mulroy (R)	Rep. Kim Ferguson (R)
20th Middlesex	Joe Markey (D), Lynnfield	Trevor Currier (R)	House Minority Leader Brad Jones (R)
9th Bristol	Ed Pacheco (D), Dartmouth	Chester Tam (R)	Rep. Chris Markey (D)
1st Franklin	Lora Wondolowski (D), Greenfield	Amy Lavallee (unenrolled)	Former Rep. Natalie Blais (D)
1st Barnstable	Chris Lambton (D), Dennis	Joe Glynn (Gulf War Veteran)	Rep. Chris Flanagan (D)
16th Middlesex	Lorena Betts (D), Chelmsford	Karla Miller (R)	Former Rep. Rodney Elliott (D)
2nd Worcester	Mike Nicholson (D), Gardner	John Reilley (unenrolled)	Rep. Jonathan Zlotnik (D)
18th Essex	Connor Murray (D), Andover	Chris Shepley (R)	Rep. Tram Nguyen (D)

Graphic: State House News Service Boundaries: MassGIS, 2021 redistricting

Numerous Republican incumbents kept their seats despite some significant challenges, per the AP. Rep. Don Wong of Saugus fended off his Ninth Essex House seat from Democrat Peter Meaney. Rep. Nick Boldyga of Southwick retained his Third Hampden House District, beating challenger Democrat Tom Hendrickson. Freshman Rep. Justin Thurber’s race was called Wednesday, when he also announced his victory against Democrat Jamison Souza. He told his Facebook followers that he didn’t get home from the polls until 3 a.m. and that he will “keep doing what I’ve been doing: listening, helping people one at a time, and pushing back on Beacon Hill when they’re not looking out for us.”

Rep. Marcus Vaughn’s race had not been called as of 3 p.m., but he declared victory Wednesday morning against Democrat challenger Thomas Melville in the Ninth Norfolk House District. “While we are still waiting on final results from Millis, the numbers reported so far tell a clear story of strong support across our communities,” Vaughn wrote on Facebook.

Six Democrats in open, contested House races defended existing blue districts.

Democrat Ed Pacheco of Dartmouth beat Republican Chester Tam for outgoing Rep. Chris Markey’s Ninth Bristol seat; Lora Wondolowski of Greenfield beat unenrolled candidate Amy Lavallee for former Rep. Natalie Blais’ First Franklin seat; Lorena Betts of Chelmsford beat Republican Karla Miller for former Rep. Rodney Elliott’s Sixteenth Middlesex seat; Chris Lambton of Dennis beat Gulf War veteran Joe Glynn for outgoing Rep. Chris Flanagan’s First Barnstable seat; Mike Nicholson of Gardner beat unenrolled candidate John Reilly for outgoing Rep. Jonathan Zlotnik’s Second Worcester seat; and Connor Murray of Andover beat Republican Chris Shepley for outgoing Rep. Tram Nguyen’s Eighteenth Essex seat.

Seven other new Democrats coasted through the general election to the House on Tuesday without challenge. They are Celina Reyes of Lawrence, who defeated Rep. Francisco Paulino for his Sixteenth Essex seat; Ravi Simon of Sudbury, who will take retiring Rep. Carmine Gentile’s Thirteenth Middlesex seat; John Drinkwater of Lowell, who will take the Seventeenth Middlesex seat that Sen. Vanna Howard left vacant; Ben Ewen-Campen of Somerville, who has outgoing Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven’s Twenty-Seventh Middlesex seat; Leila Bhatti Migliorelli of Melrose, who’s taking outgoing Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian’s Thirty-Second Middlesex seat; Will Mbah of Somerville, who’s assuming the Thirty-Fourth Middlesex seat vacated by Rep. Christine Barber; and Lisa Lopez of Canton, who will sit in outgoing Rep. William Galvin’s Sixth Norfolk seat.

There will be three new senators in the chamber next session, only one of whom is truly new to the Legislature. Progressive Democrat Uyterhoeven of Somerville will assume retiring Sen. Pat Jehlen’s Second Middlesex seat; Democrat Lipper-Garabedian of Melrose coasted through to departing Sen. Jason Lewis’ Fifth Middlesex seat. Democrat Persis Yu, a Hyde Park attorney who beat Sen. Mike Rush in the September primary for his Norfolk & Suffolk seat, also faced no challenger Tuesday.

Official voter turnout numbers in Massachusetts won’t be available until all ballots are counted and results are certified by local clerks, which will happen no sooner than November 18, according to Secretary of State William Galvin’s office. Clerks have until Nov. 15 to resolve and count any eligible provisional ballots cast Tuesday.