Western Mass appears to have its first open legislative contest of the 2026 cycle. Deerfield Rep Natalie Blais announced last week that she would be resigning on January 19 to take a job with UMass-Amherst. It is unclear whether there will actually be a special election for the seat. Either way, a large field could easily bubble up from the 18 communities the sprawling 1st Franklin District.
When the office of Secretary of the Commonwealth Bill Galvin completes the primary ballot for September, there should be few surprises in the 413. Despite some noises here and there, there were few if any last-minute entries that could upend the region’s delegation to Boston.
With Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka’s release of committee assignments, the upper house on Beacon Hill can now get down to legislating. Lawmaking will soon begin in earnest with full Democratic control of Beacon Hill for the first time in nearly a decade.
BOSTON—There was no outdoor swearing-in ceremony in the cold. No members received admonitions to stay away. There was a feast in the Great Hall and cake in the Senate reading room at the inaugural festivities of the 193rd General Court that formally installed the House and Senate.
LUDLOW—In a night that showed Democrats holding out better than expected, Massachusetts made history with the election of the first woman as its chief executive. In the 413, the few competitive races sorted in line with expectations.
Pittsfield State Senator Adam Hinds is leaving his job in Boston for another one…in Boston. On Tuesday, the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the US Senate, based in the Hub’s Dorchester neighborhood, announced it had hired the third-term Democrat to become its CEO and executive director.
Amid a wave of retirements with varying degrees of shock, the 413 will have several competitive legislative races this year. Campaign finance reports are telegraphing a spectrum of suspense in the local races the September 6 Democratic primary will decide.
Just a couple weeks after nomination papers became available, the complexion of the 413’s open legislative races is coming into focus. Between falling dominos and shock retirements, at least three seats will be open in the Springfield area in addition to a Senate race (mostly)
Peru State Representative Paul Mark made official Monday what many expected with the release of new legislative district maps. The Berkshire rep will run for Senate.
With the much-delayed Census figures in hand, the Massachusetts legislature set to drawing new maps for the state House and Senate. On Tuesday, the Joint Committee on Redistricting released its drafts. The new lines are not wholly without controversy. The Committee will hear from the public Friday even as a constitutional deadline begins to bear down. In the 413, the process may have delivered as well as it could.