Massachusetts sees 19 U.S. House candidates this year, fewer than in 2020 and 2018


The filing deadline for candidates running for Congress in Massachusetts this year was June 7, 2022. Nineteen candidates are running for Massachusetts’s nine U.S. House districts, including nine Democrats and ten Republicans. That’s 2.1 candidates per district, less than the three candidates per district in 2020 and the 3.44 in 2018.

Here are some other highlights from this year’s filings:

  • This is the first election to take place under new district lines following the 2020 census. Massachusetts was apportioned nine districts, the same number it was apportioned after the 2010 census.
  • The 19 candidates running this year are eight fewer than the 27 candidates who ran in 2020 and 12 fewer than the 31 who ran in 2018. Fourteen candidates ran in 2016, 20 in 2014, and 28 in 2012.
  • All incumbents are running for re-election, meaning there are no open seats this year. There was one open seat in 2020 and 2018, no open seats in 2016 and 2014, and one open seat in 2012.
  • The 8th and 9th districts drew the most candidates this year, with one Democrat and two Republicans running in each. 
  • There are two contested primaries this year, both Republican. That’s three fewer than in 2020, when there were five contested primaries, and six fewer than in 2018, when there were eight contested primaries. There was one contested primary in 2016, three in 2014, and nine in 2012.
  • No incumbents are facing primary challengers this year. That number is down from 2020, when three incumbents faced primary challengers, and 2018, when five incumbents did. No incumbents faced primary challengers in 2016, two did in 2014, and three did in 2012.
  • The 4th district is guaranteed to Democrats because no Republicans filed. No districts are guaranteed to Republicans because no Democrats filed.

Massachusetts is holding primary elections on September 6, 2022. In Massachusetts, the winner of a primary election is the candidate who receives the greatest number of votes, even if the candidate does not receive an outright majority of votes cast.