The final batch of primaries kicks off today in Massachusetts

By

Ethan Rice

Welcome to the Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, Brew. 

By: Ethan Rice

Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:

  1. The final batch of primaries kicks off today in Massachusetts
  2. Two candidates advance to general election runoff for Mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma
  3. Both candidates for Pierce County, Wash., Sheriff complete Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey

The final batch of primaries kicks off today in Massachusetts

Continuing our coverage of statewide primaries, today we dive into elections in Massachusetts, which is holding primaries today, Sept. 3. Voters will choose nominees for one U.S. Senate seat and nine U.S. House districts. Democrats occupy both U.S. Senate seats and represent all nine U.S. House districts. Eight seats on the Governor’s Council and all 200 seats of the Massachusetts General Court (state legislature) are up for election. Democrats have a 36-4 majority in the state Senate and a 133-25 majority in the state House. Suffolk County is also holding primaries for a number of local offices. 

In case you missed it, last week we mapped out the final 67 days of the election season. 

U.S. Senate

U.S. House

  • Thirteen candidates are running for Massachusetts’ nine U.S. House districts, including nine Democrats and four Republicans. That’s an average of 1.44 candidates per district. An average of 2.11 candidates per district ran in 2022, compared to 3 candidates per district in 2020, and 3.44 candidates per district in 2018.
  • The number of candidates running for the U.S. House in Massachusetts this year is also fewer than any other year in the last 10 years. Between 2014 and 2022, an average of 22.2 candidates ran per election cycle.
  • No districts are open in 2024, meaning all incumbents are running for re-election.
  • Four candidates—one Democrat and three Republican—are running for the 8th Congressional District, the most candidates running for a district in Massachusetts this year.
  • The Republican primary in the 8th Congressional District is the only contested primary this year. Between 2014 and 2022, an average of 3.4 were contested each election cycle.
  • No incumbents were in contested primaries this year.
  • Democrats are guaranteed to win seven of the state’s nine U.S. House districts because no Republicans filed to run. Candidates have filed to run in the Republican and Democratic primaries in the 8th and 9th Congressional Districts. In comparison, Democrats were guaranteed to win one district in 2022, three in 2020, four in 2018, and five in 2016. 

State Executive

  • Seventeen candidates are running for all eight seats on the Massachusetts Governor’s Council.
  • The council is a state executive advisory board in the Massachusetts state government. The council records advice and consent regarding gubernatorial appointments, warrants for the state treasury, and pardons and commutations.

Legislature

  • Massachusetts has 33 contested state legislative primaries this year, the fewest since Ballotpedia started tracking in 2010.
  • The average number of contested Democratic primaries from 2010 to 2022  was 36.9, and the average number of contested Republican primaries was 8.3. This year, there are 27 contested Democratic primaries, which is 26.8% less than average, and six contested Republican primaries, which is 27.7% below the average from 2010 to 2022. 
  • In addition to having fewer contested primaries, Massachusetts also has fewer candidates running for state legislative seats this year.
  • There are 279 candidates running in Massachusetts’ state legislative primaries, the fewest since Ballotpedia started tracking in 2010 and about 15.6% below the 2010 to 2022 average of 330.4.
  • Of all the candidates, 218 are Democrats and 61 are Republicans. These are record lows for both parties.
  • There are 181 incumbents running for re-election. From 2010 to 2022, an average of 179.7 incumbents ran.
  • Eighteen incumbents, or about 9.9% are facing primary challengers in 2024. Between 2010 to 2022, an average of 19.1, or 10.6% of incumbents faced a primary challenger. 
  • Nineteen incumbents did not file for re-election. There was an average of 20.3 retirements from 2010 to 2022.
  • In Ballotpedia’s annual State Legislative Competitiveness report, Massachusetts received the lowest competitiveness index of all states holding elections from 2016 to 2022. 
  • Massachusetts has had a Democratic trifecta since 2023, when Governor Maura Healey (D) assumed office. Since 1992, the state has had 10 years of Democratic trifectas and no Republican trifectas. 

Municipal

  • Suffolk County, Massachusetts, is holding general elections for register of deeds, county clerk of courts civil business, county clerk of courts criminal business, county clerk of supreme judicial court, and register of probate.

To see more upcoming election dates, see our elections calendar. 

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Two candidates advance to general election runoff for Mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma

Throughout the year, we’ll bring you coverage of the most compelling elections — the battlegrounds we expect to have a meaningful effect on the balance of power in governments or to be particularly competitive. You can catch our previous coverage of other battleground races here.

Today, we’re looking at the general runoff election for Mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Nov. 5, 2024. Karen Keith and Monroe Nichols, both affiliated with the Democratic Party, are running in the contest, guaranteeing a change in partisan control of the office. Incumbent G. T. Bynum, who is affiliated with the Republican Party, did not run for re-election.

Seven candidates ran in the Aug. 27 general election. No candidate received a majority of the vote, requiring a runoff. Nichols received the most votes with 33.1%, and Keith received the second most with 32.6%. Brent VanNorman was the third-highest vote-getter in the general election with 31.8%. Tulsa voters have not elected a Democratic mayor since Kathy Taylor was elected in 2006. The last two mayors, Bynum and Dewey Bartlett Jr., were both affiliated with the Republican party.

The November runoff will be the first since voters passed an initiative to eliminate partisan city officer elections in 2011 in which all mayoral candidates are Democrats. 

This is also the second time since Tulsa started holding nonpartisan municipal elections that a mayoral race has advanced to a runoff. The first time was in 2013. This is Tulsa’s fourth mayoral election since switching to a non-partisan election system, meaning half of the mayoral elections under the non-partisan system have advanced to a runoff. Click here to see Tulsa’s past mayoral election results.

Keith has served on the Tulsa County Board of Commissioners since 2008. Before holding elected office, she was a television news anchor, reporter, and executive producer, and Director of Community Relations and Vision Implementation for former Tulsa Mayor Bill LaFortune.

Nichols has served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives representing District 72 since 2016. Before he was elected, he was a mayoral aide, chief of staff to a university president, and an economic development director. Nichols also serves as the Director of Policy and Partnerships for StriveTogether, a national nonprofit focused on student success.

As of August 2024, the partisan breakdown of mayors of the 100 largest U.S. cities is 63 Democrats, 25 Republicans, one Libertarian, four independents, and five nonpartisans. Two mayors’ partisan affiliations are unknown. Click here to learn more about the partisan affiliations of mayors in the 100 largest cities.

Ballotpedia is covering municipal elections in 80 counties and 81 cities this November, including 41 mayoral elections. 

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Both candidates for Pierce County, Wash., Sheriff complete Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey

Both candidates running in the general election for Pierce County, Washington, Sheriff—Patti Jackson and Keith Swank—completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. These survey responses allow voters to hear directly from candidates about what motivates them to run for office.

According to its official website, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department “provides law enforcement, jail, court security, civil processing services to all areas of unincorporated Pierce County and the contract cities of Edgewood and University Place.” It is the second-largest sheriff’s department in Washington.

All survey respondents are asked to tell voters about their three key campaign messages. Both Jackson and Swank mentioned efforts to lower crime rates. Excerpts are shown below:

Jackson:

Swank:

You can view each candidate’s full survey responses using the links below:

The county population is 921,130, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The county seat is Tacoma. Elections for sheriff are nonpartisan, in which the candidates do not run with partisan labels.

Ballotpedia is covering every election in Washington—and 25 other states—this November as part of growing local election coverage. For more 2024 election coverage in Washington, click here.Keep reading