A special election is being held on March 30 for the 19th Suffolk District of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Jeffrey Turco (D), Paul Caruccio (R), and Richard Fucillo (ind.) are running in the general election. Turco advanced to the general election after defeating Juan Jaramillo, Alicia DelVento, and Valentino Capobianco in the March 2 Democratic primary with 36.2% of the vote
The special election became necessary after Robert DeLeo (D) resigned his seat on December 29, 2020, to take a job at Northeastern University. DeLeo had represented the district since 1991. He faced no opposition in his bid for re-election in 2020.
Massachusetts has a divided government, and no political party holds a state government trifecta. A trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and majorities in both state legislative chambers. Democrats control the state Senate by a 37-3 margin and the state House by a 128-30 margin with one independent and one vacancy. Republican Charlie Baker was elected governor of Massachusetts in 2014.
As of March, 33 state legislative special elections have been scheduled for 2021 in 16 states. Between 2011 and 2020, an average of 75 special elections took place each year.
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