Lack of Competition in State Legislature

In Massachusetts, all seats in the state legislature are up for election every two years. All members of the state Senate and House of Representatives have two-year terms and are not bound by any term limits. State legislators also have relatively simple requirements to run for office. For the Massachusetts House of Representatives, an individual only needs to be at least 18 years old, a registered voter, and a resident of their district for at least a year prior to election. Similarly, to run for the Massachusetts Senate, an individual must be at least eighteen years old, a registered voter, and have lived in their district for at least five years. There are no citizenship, educational, or professional qualifications needed for these positions. With frequent elections and basic requirements, it is not unreasonable to expect that there would be competitive races and a large number of candidates able to enter state politics. But, as is clear, especially this election cycle, that's not the case.

Of the 200 seats in the state legislature, two thirds of the incumbents are running uncontested, facing no challengers or opposition. In the Massachusetts House of Representatives, 135 of the incumbents are running unopposed, while only 25, of the races have two or more competitors vying for the seat. In the Massachusetts Senate, only 8 of the 40 seats are competitive. All of this to say, 83.5% of the seats in the state legislature are uncontested. 

One of the main reasons why there is little turnover in the state legislature is the lack of term limits. Elected officials are not bound by any time constraints so as long as they can afford to run campaigns they’ll continue to hold their positions. 

Structurally, the election calendar and timing of the state legislature races can have an impact on the results too. State legislature races tend to have lower turnout overall, especially in election years where another major election like president or governor is not on the ballot. With this diminished turnout it can be difficult for challengers to build enough support to compete with the strong incumbents. 

Another important factor that makes Massachusetts politics predictive is that incumbents can continue fundraising and transfer previously earned funds between campaign cycles. Meaning a 10 year incumbent can continue to build on funds while a newcomer is starting with zero. As the saying goes, money is power.

Election laws further aid incumbents by listing their name at the top of the ballots in most municipalities. The MIT Election Data and Science Lab has collected research on ballot-order effect that suggested appearing first increased a candidate’s chances of performing well in an election, while making clear that the effects of candidate ordering on a ballot vary from types of elections and types of candidates.

If you would like to learn more about the general election races that have competitors, visit this guide on the general election races.