Topline Takeaways

• Since Democrats hold a super-majority in the Massachusetts legislature, the governor’s veto is practically powerless, giving the party almost complete control over redistricting.

• Democrats made incredibly minor changes to the state’s districts, largely keeping the old map in tact.

Who’s In Control

Democrats had almost complete control of Massachusetts’ redistricting process. While the state’s Republican governor Charlie Baker held veto power, Democrats have a super-majority in the legislature that allows them to override the governor’s veto.

New District Breakdown

Democrats have held every US House seat in MA since 1997. Massachusetts lost a congressional seat during the state’s last redistricting process in 2010 , forcing a tense game of musical chairs on the party. Luckily, not one but two long-time House representatives announced their retirement, allowing for a slightly smoother transition as the state dismantled one of its House districts.

This round of redistricting was much less dramatic. No representatives are retiring and the state’s districts only saw minor changes from the old map. In addition, no districts saw a major shift in partisanship, with the largest swing being only 5 points toward the left (MA-2.)

Leftover Links

• Massachusetts’ seventh district is the state’s only minority-majority district, although this racial breakdown doesn’t hold when looking at registered voters.