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Massachusetts's 5th congressional district

Massachusetts's 5th congressional district
Map
Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023
Representative
Population (2023)776,923
Median household
income		$122,808[1]
Ethnicity
Cook PVID+23[2]

Massachusetts's 5th congressional district is a congressional district in eastern Massachusetts. The district is represented by Katherine Clark of the Democratic Party. Massachusetts's congressional redistricting after the 2010 census changed the borders of the district starting with the elections of 2012, with the new 3rd district largely taking the place of the old 5th.[3] The 5th district covers many of the communities represented in the old 7th district.

On July 15, 2013, Ed Markey resigned from the seat to become the junior Senator from Massachusetts. On December 10, 2013, Democrat Katherine Clark won a special election to fill the seat for the remainder of the 113th Congress.[4] She was sworn into office on December 12, 2013, and since January 2023 serves as the House Minority Whip.

The district has been in Democratic hands without interruption since 1975. Before Paul Tsongas' victory that year, it had only elected three Democrats in its entire existence and had been in Republican hands since 1895. It was one of the more moderate districts in heavily Democratic Massachusetts before redistricting in 2013. In state races, it supported Republican candidates for Governor William Weld, Paul Celluci, and Mitt Romney. In the 2007 special election to replace Marty Meehan, Republican candidate Jim Ogonowski ran an unexpectedly strong race before ultimately losing, 51–45%.

Composition

Massachusetts's congressional redistricting after the 2020 census (commencing with the 2022 election and the 118th Congress, whose House members were sworn in on January 3, 2023) assigns the 5th congressional district to much of Middlesex County, part of Norfolk County, and part of Suffolk County.

History and geography

Current

There are 23 municipalities in the 5th district, as of the 2021 redistricting.[5] This list is sorted by county.

Middlesex County (20)

Arlington, Bedford (part; also 6th), Belmont, Cambridge (part; also 7th), Framingham, Lexington, Lincoln, Malden, Maynard, Medford, Melrose, Natick, Stoneham, Sudbury, Waltham, Watertown, Wayland, Weston, Winchester, Woburn

Norfolk County (1)

Wellesley (part; also 4th)

Suffolk County (2)

Revere, Winthrop

Past

From 2013 through 2023, the municipalities of the 5th District were:[6]

Middlesex County

Other

Recent statewide election results

Year Office Result
2000 President Gore 57 - 36%
2004 President Kerry 57 - 41%
2008 President Obama 66 - 32%
2012 President Obama 65 - 33%
2016 President Clinton 69 - 25%
2020 President Biden 75 - 23%

Recent election results

1990 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Chester G. Atkins (incumbent) 110,232 49.85
Republican John MacGovern 101,017 45.68
Other 9,891 4.47
Turnout 221,140
Democratic hold Swing
1992 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Marty Meehan 133,844 52.17 +2.32
Republican Paul W. Cronin 96,206 37.50 −8.18
Independent Mary Farinelli 19,077 7.44 +7.44
Independent David E. Coleman 7,214 2.81 +2.81
Write-in 223 0.09 −4.38
Turnout 256,564
Democratic hold Swing +2.32
1994 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Marty Meehan (incumbent) 140,725 69.83 +17.66
Republican David E. Coleman 60,734 30.14 −7.36
Write-in 65 0.03 −0.06
Turnout 201,524
Democratic hold Swing +17.66
1996 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Marty Meehan (incumbent) 183,429 99.08 +29.25
N/A Write-in 1,708 0.92 +0.89
Turnout 185,137
Democratic hold Swing +29.25
1998 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Marty Meehan (incumbent) 127,418 70.70 −28.38
Republican David E. Coleman 52,725 29.25 +29.25
Write-in 87 0.05 −0.87
Turnout 180,230
Democratic hold Swing -28.38
2000 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Marty Meehan (incumbent) 199,601 98.02 +27.32
N/A Write-in 4,040 1.98 +1.93
Turnout 203,641
Democratic hold Swing +27.32
2002 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Marty Meehan (incumbent) 122,562 60.15 −37.87
Republican Charles McCarthy 69,337 34.03 +34.03
Libertarian Ilana Freedman 11,729 5.76 +5.76
Write-in 149 0.07 −1.91
Turnout 203,777
Democratic hold Swing -37.87
2004 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Marty Meehan (incumbent) 179,652 66.99 +6.84
Republican Thomas Tierney 88,232 32.90 −1.13
Write-in 305 0.11 +0.04
Turnout 268,189
Democratic hold Swing +6.84
2006 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Marty Meehan (incumbent) 159,120 98.98 +31.99
N/A Write-in 3,152 1.02 +0.91
Turnout 216,832
Democratic hold Swing +31.99
2007 Special election, 2007
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Niki Tsongas 54,363 51.32 −47.66
Republican Jim Ogonowski 47,770 45.10 +45.10
Independent Patrick Murphy 2,170 2.05 +2.05
Independent Kurt Hayes 1,125 1.06 +1.06
Constitution Kevin Thompson 494 0.47 +0.47
Turnout 105,922
Democratic hold Swing -47.66
2008 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Niki Tsongas (incumbent) 225,947 98.71 +37.39
N/A Write-in 2,960 1.29 −2.29
Turnout 302,397
Democratic hold Swing +37.39
2010 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Niki Tsongas (incumbent) 122,858 54.84 −43.87
Republican Jonathan A. Golnik 94,646 42.25 +42.25
Independent Dale E. Brown 4,387 1.96 +1.96
Independent Robert M. Clark 1,991 0.89 +0.89
All Others 147 0.07 −1.22
Turnout 229,647
Democratic hold Swing -43.87
2012 election[7][8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ed Markey (incumbent) 257,490 75.5
Republican Tom Tierney 82,944 24.3
n/a Write-ins 675 0.2
Total votes 341,109 100.0
Democratic hold
2014 election[9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Katherine Clark (incumbent) 182,100 98.3
N/A Write-ins 3,159 1.7
Total votes 185,259 100.0
Democratic hold
2016 election[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Katherine Clark (Incumbent) 285,606 98.6
n/a Write-ins 4,201 1.4
Total votes 289,807 100.0
Democratic hold
2018 election[11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Katherine Clark (incumbent) 236,243 75.9
Republican John Hugo 74,856 24.0
Write-in 225 0.1
Total votes 311,324 100.0
Democratic hold
2020 election[12]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Katherine Clark (incumbent) 294,427 74.3
Republican Caroline Colarusso 101,351 25.6
Write-in 405 0.1
Total votes 396,183 100.0
Democratic hold
2022 election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Katherine Clark (incumbent) 203,994 74.0
Republican Caroline Colarusso 71,491 25.9
Write-in 186 0.1
Total votes 284,881 100.0
Democratic hold

List of members representing the district

Member
(District home) 		Party Years ↑ Cong
ress 		Electoral history District location
District created March 4, 1789

George Partridge
(Duxbury) 		Pro-Administration March 4, 1789 –
August 14, 1790 		1st Elected in 1788.
Resigned. 		1789–1793
Barnstable County and Plymouth County
Vacant August 15, 1790 –
March 3, 1791
Shearjashub Bourne
(Boston) 		Pro-Administration March 4, 1791 –
March 3, 1793 		2nd Elected in 1790.
Redistricted to the 3rd district.
District inactive March 4, 1793 –
March 3, 1795 		3rd
Nathaniel Freeman Jr.
(Sandwich) 		Democratic-Republican March 4, 1795 –
March 3, 1799 		4th
5th 		Elected in 1794.
Re-elected in 1796.
Retired. 		1795–1803
"1st Southern district"
Lemuel Williams
(New Bedford) 		Federalist March 4, 1799 –
March 3, 1803 		6th
7th 		Elected in 1799.
Re-elected in 1800.
Redistricted to the 8th district.
Thomas Dwight
(Springfield) 		Federalist March 4, 1803 –
March 3, 1805 		8th Elected in 1802.
Retired. 		1803–1823
"Hampshire South district"
William Ely
(Springfield) 		Federalist March 4, 1805 –
March 3, 1815 		9th
10th
11th
12th
13th 		Elected in 1804.
Re-elected in 1806.
Re-elected in 1808.
Re-elected in 1810.
Re-elected in 1812.
Retired.

Elijah H. Mills
(Northampton) 		Federalist March 4, 1815 –
March 3, 1819 		14th
15th 		Elected in 1814.
Re-elected in 1816.
Lost re-election.
Samuel Lathrop
(West Springfield) 		Federalist March 4, 1819 –
March 3, 1823 		16th
17th 		Elected in 1819 on the second ballot.
Re-elected in 1820.
Redistricted to the 8th district.
Jonas Sibley
(Worcester) 		Democratic-Republican March 4, 1823 –
March 3, 1825 		18th Elected in 1823 on the second ballot.
Lost re-election. 		1823–1833
"Worcester South district"

John Davis
(Worcester) 		Anti-Jacksonian March 4, 1825 –
January 14, 1834 		19th
20th
21st
22nd
23rd 		Elected in 1825.
Re-elected in 1826.
Re-elected in 1828.
Re-elected in 1830.
Re-elected in 1833.
Resigned to become Governor of Massachusetts.
1833–1843
[data missing]
Vacant January 15, 1834 –
February 16, 1834 		23rd

Levi Lincoln Jr.
(Worcester) 		Anti-Jacksonian February 17, 1834 –
March 3, 1837 		23rd
24th
25th
26th 		Elected to finish Davis's term.
Re-elected later in 1834.
Re-elected in 1836.
Re-elected in 1838.
Re-elected in 1840.
Resigned to become Collector of the Port of Boston.
Whig March 4, 1837 –
March 16, 1841
Vacant March 17, 1841 –
May 2, 1841 		27th

Charles Hudson
(Westminster) 		Whig May 3, 1841 –
March 3, 1849 		27th
28th
29th
30th 		Elected to finish Lincoln's term.
Re-elected late in 1843.
Re-elected in 1844.
Re-elected in 1846.
Lost re-election.
1843–1853
[data missing]

Charles Allen
(Worcester) 		Free Soil March 4, 1849 –
March 3, 1853 		31st
32nd 		Elected late in 1849.[13]
Re-elected late in 1851.[14]
Retired.

William Appleton
(Boston) 		Whig March 4, 1853 –
March 3, 1855 		33rd Redistricted from the 1st district and re-elected in 1852.
Lost re-election. 		1853–1863
[data missing]

Anson Burlingame
(Cambridge) 		American March 4, 1855 –
March 3, 1857 		34th
35th
36th 		Elected in 1854.
Re-elected in 1856.
Re-elected in 1858.
Lost re-election.
Republican March 4, 1857 –
March 3, 1861

William Appleton
(Boston) 		Constitutional Unionist March 4, 1861 –
September 27, 1861 		37th Elected in 1860.
Resigned because of failing health.
Vacant September 28, 1861 –
December 1, 1861

Samuel Hooper[15]
(Boston) 		Republican December 2, 1861 –
March 3, 1863 		Elected to finish Appleton's term.
Redistricted to the 4th district.

John B. Alley
(Lynn) 		Republican March 4, 1863 –
March 3, 1867 		38th
39th 		Redistricted from the 6th district and re-elected in 1862.
Re-elected in 1864.
[data missing] 		1863–1873
[data missing]

Benjamin F. Butler[16]
(Lowell) 		Republican March 4, 1867 –
March 3, 1873 		40th
41st
42nd 		Elected in 1866.
Re-elected in 1868.
Re-elected in 1870.
Redistricted to the 6th district.

Daniel W. Gooch
(Melrose) 		Republican March 4, 1873 –
March 3, 1875 		43rd Elected in 1872.
Lost re-election. 		1873–1883
[data missing]

Nathaniel P. Banks[17]
(Waltham) 		Independent March 4, 1875 –
March 3, 1877 		44th
45th 		Elected in 1874.
Re-elected in 1876.
Lost renomination.
Republican March 4, 1877 –
March 3, 1879

Selwyn Z. Bowman[18]
(Somerville) 		Republican March 4, 1879 –
March 3, 1883 		46th
47th 		Elected in 1878.
Re-elected in 1880.
Lost re-election.

Leopold Morse
(Boston) 		Democratic March 4, 1883 –
March 3, 1885 		48th Redistricted from the 4th district and re-elected in 1882.
Retired. 		1883–1893
[data missing]

Edward D. Hayden
(Woburn) 		Republican March 4, 1885 –
March 3, 1889 		49th
50th 		Elected in 1884.
Re-elected in 1886.
Retired.

Nathaniel P. Banks
(Waltham) 		Republican March 4, 1889 –
March 3, 1891 		51st Elected in 1888.
Retired.

Sherman Hoar
(Waltham) 		Democratic March 4, 1891 –
March 3, 1893 		52nd Elected in 1890.
Declined renomination.

Moses T. Stevens
(North Andover) 		Democratic March 4, 1893 –
March 3, 1895 		53rd Redistricted from the 8th district and re-elected in 1892.
[data missing] 		1893–1903
[data missing]

William S. Knox[19]
(Lawrence) 		Republican March 4, 1895 –
March 3, 1903 		54th
55th
56th
57th 		Elected in 1894.
Re-elected in 1896.
Re-elected in 1898.
Re-elected in 1900.
Retired.

Butler Ames[20]
(Lowell) 		Republican March 4, 1903 –
March 3, 1913 		58th
59th
60th
61st
62nd 		Elected in 1902.
Re-elected in 1904.
Re-elected in 1906.
Re-elected in 1908.
Re-elected in 1910.
Retired. 		1903–1913
[data missing]

John Jacob Rogers
(Lowell) 		Republican March 4, 1913 –
March 28, 1925 		63rd
64th
65th
66th
67th
68th
69th 		Elected in 1912.
Re-elected in 1914.
Re-elected in 1916.
Re-elected in 1918.
Re-elected in 1920.
Re-elected in 1922.
Re-elected in 1924.
Died. 		1913–1933
[data missing]
Vacant March 28, 1925 –
June 30, 1925 		69th

[21]
(Lowell) 		Republican June 30, 1925 –
September 10, 1960 		69th
70th
71st
72nd
73rd
74th
75th
76th
77th
78th
79th
80th
81st
82nd
83rd
84th
85th
86th 		Elected to finish her husband's term.
Re-elected in 1926.
Re-elected in 1928.
Re-elected in 1930.
Re-elected in 1932.
Re-elected in 1934.
Re-elected in 1936.
Re-elected in 1938.
Re-elected in 1940.
Re-elected in 1942.
Re-elected in 1944.
Re-elected in 1946.
Re-elected in 1948.
Re-elected in 1950.
Re-elected in 1952.
Re-elected in 1954.
Re-elected in 1956.
Re-elected in 1958.
Died.
1933–1943
[data missing]
1943–1953
[data missing]
1953–1963
[data missing]
Vacant September 10, 1960 –
January 3, 1961 		86th

F. Bradford Morse[22]
(Lowell) 		Republican January 3, 1961 –
May 1, 1972 		87th
88th
89th
90th
91st
92nd 		Elected in 1960.
Re-elected in 1962.
Re-elected in 1964.
Re-elected in 1966.
Re-elected in 1968.
Re-elected in 1970.
Resigned to become U.N. Under Secretary General for Political and General Assembly Affairs.
1963–1973
[data missing]
Vacant May 1, 1972 –
January 3, 1973 		92nd

Paul W. Cronin
(Andover) 		Republican January 3, 1973 –
January 3, 1975 		93rd Elected in 1972.
Lost re-election. 		1973–1983
[data missing]

Paul Tsongas
(Lowell) 		Democratic January 3, 1975 –
January 3, 1979 		94th
95th 		Elected in 1974.
Re-elected in 1976.
Retired to run for U.S. senator.

James Shannon
(Lawrence) 		Democratic January 3, 1979 –
January 3, 1983 		96th
97th
98th 		Elected in 1978.
Re-elected in 1980.
Re-elected in 1982.
Retired to run for U.S. senator.
January 3, 1983 –
January 3, 1985 		1983–1993
[data missing]

Chester G. Atkins[23]
(Concord) 		Democratic January 3, 1985 –
January 3, 1993 		99th
100th
101st
102nd 		Re-elected in 1984.
Re-elected in 1986.
Re-elected in 1988.
Re-elected in 1990.
Lost renomination.

Marty Meehan
(Lowell) 		Democratic January 3, 1993 –
July 1, 2007 		103rd
104th
105th
106th
107th
108th
109th
110th 		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.
Resigned to become Chancellor of University of Massachusetts Lowell. 		1993–2003
[data missing]
2003–2013
[data missing]
Vacant July 1, 2007 –
October 16, 2007 		110th

Niki Tsongas
(Lowell) 		Democratic October 16, 2007 –
January 3, 2013 		110th
111th
112th 		Elected to finish Meehan's term.
Re-elected in 2008.
Re-elected in 2010.
Redistricted to the 3rd district.

Ed Markey
(Malden) 		Democratic January 3, 2013 –
July 15, 2013 		113th Redistricted from the 7th district and re-elected in 2012.
Resigned when elected U.S. senator. 		2013–2023
Vacant July 15, 2013 –
December 10, 2013

Katherine Clark
(Revere) 		Democratic December 10, 2013 –
present 		113th
114th
115th
116th
117th
118th 		Elected to finish Markey's term.
Re-elected in 2014.
Re-elected in 2016.
Re-elected in 2018.
Re-elected in 2020.
Re-elected in 2022.
Re-elected in 2024.
2023–present
Member
(District home) 		Party Years ↑ Cong
ress 		Electoral history District location

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 28, 2012.
  4. ^ "Elections: Special State Election". www.sec.state.ma.us. Archived from the original on March 16, 2018. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  5. ^ "Massachusetts Congressional Districts". Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
  6. ^ "About the District". Congresswoman Katherine Clark. Archived from the original on March 4, 2022. Retrieved September 4, 2022 – via Wayback Machine.
  7. ^ "PD43+ » Search Elections".
  8. ^ The totals do not include Blank/Scatterings Ballots although they were reported.
  9. ^ "PD43+ » Search Elections".
  10. ^ "Massachusetts Secretary of State General Election Results 2016". Massachusetts Secretary of State. November 8, 2016. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
  11. ^ Johnson, Cheryl L. (February 28, 2019). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 6, 2018". Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  12. ^ "2020 - US House - All General Election Results". Massachusetts Election Statistics. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  13. ^ "Our Campaigns - MA District 5 - 2nd Trial Race - Jan 01, 1849".
  14. ^ "Our Campaigns - MA District 5 - 3rd Trial Race - Apr 07, 1851".
  15. ^ "Massachusetts". Congressional Directory for the Second Session of the Thirty-Seventh Congress. Washington DC: House of Representatives. 1861. Archived from the original on March 16, 2016.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ Ben. Perley Poore (1878). "Massachusetts". Congressional Directory: 45th Congress (3rd ed.). Washington DC: Government Printing Office. ISBN 978-0-16-041176-2. Archived from the original on March 17, 2016.
  18. ^ Ben. Perley Poore (1882). "Massachusetts". Congressional Directory: 47th Congress (3rd ed.). Washington DC: Government Printing Office.
  19. ^ L.A. Coolidge (1897). "Massachusetts". Official Congressional Directory: Fifty-Fifth Congress. Washington DC: Government Printing Office.
  20. ^ A.J. Halford (1909). "Massachusetts". Congressional Directory: 60th Congress (2nd ed.). Washington DC: Government Printing Office.
  21. ^ "Massachusetts". Official Congressional Directory: 75th Congress (2nd ed.). Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1938.
  22. ^ "Massachusetts". Official Congressional Directory: 90th Congress. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1968.
  23. ^ "Massachusetts". 1991-1992 Official Congressional Directory: 102nd Congress. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1991.

Further reading

Maps

Election results

42°21′19″N 71°17′54″W / 42.35528°N 71.29833°W / 42.35528; -71.29833

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