User:Toll Booth Willie/M5

inline Constituency of the Massachusetts State Senate
Current	–[[, Massachusetts|]]

The 5th Middlesex District is one of 40 electoral districts that each send one senator to the Massachusetts Senate. The district is represented by state Sen. Jason Lewis of Winchester, a Democrat.

With the exception of 10 years in the 2000s, the Massachusetts Senate district map has included a 5th Middlesex District since district representation was adopted in 1857. What would become today's 5th Middlesex District was instead known as the Middlesex and Essex District during that time.

Though the district name dates back more than a century and a half, the specific communities it covers have changed over the years, from the current district in the suburbs due north of Boston to previous apportionments covering towns to the west and northwest of the city.

Senators

Senator	Party	Hometown	Years	Notes
James DeNormandie	Republican	Lincoln	?? –1972	Did not run for re-election
Chester G. Atkins	Democratic	Acton	1973 –1974	Redistricted to Middlesex and Worcester District
Ronald MacKenzie	Republican	Burlington	1975 –1977	Redistricted from 7th Middlesex District Resigned after being convicted of extortion
Carol C. Amick	Democratic	Bedford	1977 –1990	Originally elected in a special election Resigned mid-term
Lucile Hicks	Republican	Wayland	1990 –1996	Originally elected in a special election Did not run for re-election
Susan Fargo	Democratic	Lincoln	1996 –2002	Originally elected in a special election Redistricted to 3rd Middlesex District
Richard Tisei	Republican	Wakefield	2003 –2010	Redistricted from 3rd Middlesex District District name changed to Middlesex and Essex District in 2003 Left to run for lieutenant governor
Katherine Clark	Democratic	Melrose	2011 –2013	District name changed to 5th Middlesex District in 2013 Elected to Congress in December 2013
Jason Lewis	Democratic	Winchester	2013– present	Originally elected in a special election

Cities and towns

Under the apportionment plan of 2011, the 5th Middlesex District consists of Malden, Melrose, Reading, Stoneham, Wakefield and the eastern half of Winchester (precincts 1, 2, 3 and 8). The district's towns form a north-south line along the Middlesex Fells and Interstate 93 corridor north of Boston, and lie along the eastern edge of Middlesex County, from which the district takes its name.

History

The 5th Middlesex District can trace its history back to the original state senatorial districts created in 1857. Before the 1857 apportionment, senators were elected by county, with Middlesex County electing three to five senators at-large.

1857-1866: Eastern Middlesex towns

When the current system of single-member districts was enacted in 1857, Middlesex County was split into six districts. The two southern cities of today's 5th Middlesex District, Malden and Melrose, were placed in the original 1st Middlesex District, but the remaining towns were included in the inaugural 5th Middlesex District, which consisted of Bedford, Billerica, Burlington, Lexington, Medford, North Reading, Reading, South Reading (the future Wakefield), Stoneham, Wilmington, Winchester and Woburn.

1866-1896: Northwestern Middlesex towns

New lines drawn in 1866 renumbered the eastern district as the 6th Middlesex District and created a new 5th Middlesex District out of what had been the 4th Middlesex District, covering the largely rural towns of northwestern Middlesex County. This district, which shared no towns in common with the previous 5th Middlesex District but bordered it to the west, included the towns of Acton, Ashby, Boxborough, Carlisle, Concord, Dunstable, Groton, Hudson, Lincoln, Littleton, Marlborough, Pepperell, Shirley, Stow, Sudbury, Townsend, Tyngsborough and Westford. The district grew by two towns in 1871 but did not add any territory, as the new town of Ayer incorporated, taking land from Groton, and the town of Maynard incorporated, taking land from Stow and Sudbury.

Redistricting in 1876 added Chelmsford and Dracut, and removed Marlborough. The district now consisted of Acton, Ashby, Ayer, Boxborough, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Concord, Dracut, Dunstable, Groton, Hudson, Lincoln, Littleton, Maynard, Pepperell, Shirley, Stow, Sudbury, Townsend, Tyngsborough and Westford.

In the reapportionment of 1886, the district expanded to the east, adding Bedford, Billerica, Burlington, Tewksbury and Woburn, and removing four towns on its southern edge, Concord and Lincoln (to the 2nd Middlesex District), and Maynard and Sudbury (to the 4th Middlesex District). With the addition of Tewksbury in its northeast corner, the district now completely surrounded -- but did not include -- the city of Lowell, which formed the 7th Middlesex District by itself.

1896-1926: Waltham west to Marlborough

Redistricting in 1896 reassigned most of the former 5th Middlesex District towns to the 6th Middlesex District or 7th Middlesex District. The 5th Middlesex designation was given to a line of cities and towns north to west of Boston, stretching from the inner ring of suburbs to the Worcester County border. The new 5th Middlesex District consisted of Lexington, Lincoln, Marlborough, Medford, Sudbury, Waltham, Wayland and Winchester.

New lines drawn in 1906 retained the district's core Marlborough-to-Waltham orientation but made several changes on the edges, adding Concord, Hudson, Maynard and Stow in the northwest, and Belmont in the southeast, and removing Medford and Winchester in the northeast.

Reapportionment in 1916 made only one change to the district, dropping Belmont. The 5th Middlesex District now consisted of Concord, Hudson, Lexington, Lincoln, Marlborough, Maynard, Stow, Sudbury, Waltham and Wayland.

1926-1970: Waltham, Watertown and northwest

The district's western end shifted slightly to the north in the redistricting of 1926, with the addition of Acton and Boxborough, and removal of Marlborough. On the eastern end of the district, Lexington and Wayland were removed, and Watertown was added. This configuration would stand for the next 34 years, with just one change, the addition of Littleton in 1948. Through the 1950s the 5th Middlesex District consisted of Acton, Boxborough, Concord, Hudson, Lincoln, Littleton, Maynard, Stow, Sudbury, Waltham and Watertown.

The apportionment of 1960 shifted the western end of the 5th Middlesex District farther to the north, dropping Acton, Boxborough, Hudson, Maynard, Stow and Sudbury, and adding several towns along the district's former northern and northwestern borders. The district now included Ayer, Bedford, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Concord, Lincoln, Littleton, Shirley, Waltham, Watertown and Westford.

1971-1974: Northwest to Worcester County

Half of Waltham was redistricted into the 2nd Middlesex District in the redistricting of 1970, and Watertown was moved to the 8th Middlesex District. Wayland and Weston were added, and the western portion of the 5th Middlesex District returned to a configuration similar to its 1926 borders, but with the addition for the first time of two towns in northeastern Worcester County, Harvard and Lancaster. The district now included wards 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7 of Waltham, as well as Acton, Boxborough, Concord, Harvard, Hudson, Lancaster, Lincoln, Littleton, Maynard, Stow, Sudbury, Wayland and Weston. Despite the addition of towns in Worcester County, the district retained the name 5th Middlesex District.

Senator James DeNormandie was a longtime incumbent heading into the election of 1970.

Massachusetts Senate elections, 1970: 5th Middlesex District

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	James DeNormandie of Lincoln	29,240	57.7
	Democratic	Stephen F. Coyle of Waltham	21,425	42.3
Total votes			55,868

DeNormandie did not run for re-election in 1972. His son Philip DeNormandie did contest a three-way Republican primary election, but finished second. Acton state Representative Chester G. Atkins defeated Vincent M. Principe for the Democratic nomination.

Massachusetts Senate elections, 1972: 5th Middlesex District

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Chester G. Atkins of Acton	37,583	55.2
	Republican	Bruce C. Farrell of Wayland	30,479	44.8
Total votes			72,307

1975-2002: Waltham north to Chelmsford

Just three years later, the another redistricting moved the northwestern towns into the Middlesex and Worcester District, and most of the eastern side of the district into the new Second Middlesex and Norfolk District. Atkins was re-elected in the Middlesex and Worcester District.

The 5th Middlesex District name was assigned to the other half of Waltham and neighboring towns in a line due north. Cities and towns in the 5th Middlesex District included Bedford, Burlington, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Lincoln, Wilmington, two out of eight precincts of Belmont, the western half of Lexington, and three out of eight wards of Waltham.

Ronald MacKenzie, the incumbent senator from the former 7th Middlesex District, ran for re-election in the new 5th Middlesex District.

Massachusetts Senate elections, 1974: 5th Middlesex District

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Ronald MacKenzie of Burlington	35,766	89.7
	American	Parker Weaver of Burlington	4,104	10.3
Total votes			48,103

Massachusetts Senate elections, 1976: 5th Middlesex District

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Ronald MacKenzie of Burlington	30,388	50.2
	Democratic	John J. Leary of Bedford	30,151	49.8
Total votes			68,444

MacKenzie resigned from the Senate in March 1977, a month after being convicted of extortion as part of the MBM scandal. In the ensuing special primary elections, Michael Cara won 66% of the vote in a three-way Republican race, and Bedford state Representative Carol C. Amick drew 71% in a race against two other Democrats.

Special election, 1977: 5th Middlesex District

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Carol C. Amick of Bedford	7,634	53.9
	Republican	Michael A. Cara of ??	6,400	45.1
	American	Parker Weaver of Burlington	141	1.0
Total votes			14,232

When district lines were again redrawn in 1977, the 5th Middlesex District's borders were simplified to follow town lines. The partial coverage of Belmont and Lexington was dropped, as was all of Wilmington, but the remaining wards of Waltham were added. The district now included all of Bedford, Burlington, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Lincoln, Waltham and Weston.

Massachusetts Senate elections, 1978: 5th Middlesex District

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Carol C. Amick of Bedford	29,578	61.2
	Republican	Paula K. Lewellen of Bedford	12,060	24.9
	Independent	Kenneth Douglas Freda of Waltham	6,700	13.9
Total votes			52,467

Amick won 79.6% of the vote in the 1980 Democratic primary election, defeating Virginia Mooney, and was re-elected with no November opponent.

Massachusetts Senate elections, 1982: 5th Middlesex District

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Carol C. Amick of Bedford	32,548	64.7
	Republican	John J. Leary of Waltham	17,723	35.3
Total votes			54,574

Amick took 75% of the Democratic vote to defeat a primary challenger in 1984, but faced no November opponent.

Massachusetts Senate elections, 1986: 5th Middlesex District

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Carol C. Amick of Bedford	30,418	69.8
	Republican	Paul Reid of Weston	13,137	30.2
Total votes			47,946

Redistricting in 1987 added Wayland on the southwest border of the district and Concord on the western border, and removed Burlington from the eastern edge. The 5th Middlesex District now consisted of all of Bedford, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Concord, Lincoln, Waltham, Wayland and Weston.

Massachusetts Senate elections, 1988: 5th Middlesex District

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Carol C. Amick of Bedford	45,414	66.7
	Republican	Edward Rudnitsky of Weston	22,646	33.3
Total votes			76,842

Amick resigned in early 1990. Wayland state Representative Lucile Hicks took the Republican nomination with 81.6% of the vote. Weston Selectman Joseph Mullin was the choice of 55% of Democrats.

Special election, May 1, 1990: 5th Middlesex District

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Lucile Hicks of Wayland	16,651	65.7
	Democratic	Joseph W. Mullin of Weston	8,669	34.2
Total votes			25,504

Massachusetts Senate elections, 1990: 5th Middlesex District

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Lucile Hicks of Wayland	41,549	66.0
	Democratic	Bryan P. McCarthy of Waltham	21,342	33.9
Total votes			69,483

Hicks was re-elected with no opponents in 1992.

Waltham was again split between two senate districts in the apportionment of 1993, with the 5th Middlesex District keeping the western half of the city. The district also gained Sudbury and the western half of Lexington. For the rest of the 1990s, the 5th Middlesex District included Bedford, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Concord, half of Lexington, Lincoln, Sudbury, half of Waltham, Wayland and Weston.

After being re-elected with no opponents in 1994, Hicks did not run for re-election in 1996. Instead, state Representative Hasty Evans was the Republican nominee, and Lincoln Selectman Susan Fargo was the Democratic candidate.

Massachusetts Senate elections, 1996: 5th Middlesex District

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Susan Fargo of Lincoln	39,520	52.7
	Republican	Hasty Evans of Wayland	35,440	47.3
Total votes			81,240

Massachusetts Senate elections, 1998: 5th Middlesex District

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Susan Fargo of Lincoln	37,450	62.8
	Republican	Thomas F. Healy of Concord	22,157	37.2
Total votes			62,745

Massachusetts Senate elections, 2000: 5th Middlesex District

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Susan Fargo of Lincoln	53,341	69.5
	Republican	Andrew B. Pryor of Waltham	23,370	30.5
Total votes			84,180

2003-2012: Middlesex and Essex District

For the unrelated Middlesex and Essex District of the 1890s-1900s, see 6th Middlesex District (Massachusetts Senate).

What had been the 5th Middlesex District was renumbered as the 3rd Middlesex District in the senate district map drawn in 2001. Fargo was re-elected in this district with no opponents.

As there were only four senate districts fully within Middlesex County, there was no 5th Middlesex District following the elections of 2002. Instead, the map included a new Middlesex and Essex District, which is the forerunner of today's 5th Middlesex District. This district served most of the same towns that had been in the 3rd Middlesex District in the 1970s to 1990s -- Malden, most of Melrose, Reading, Stoneham and Wakefield -- with the addition of Lynnfield in Essex County.

This district inherited incumbent Senator Richard Tisei from the former 3rd Middlesex District. Tisei was re-elected with no opponents in 2002.

Massachusetts Senate elections, 2004: Middlesex and Essex District

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Richard Tisei of Wakefield	41,305	56.6
	Democratic	Katherine Clark of Melrose	31,638	43.3
Total votes			76,518

Tisei was again re-elected with no opponents in 2006 and 2008. In 2010, Tisei did not run for re-election, instead accepting the Republican Party's nomination for lieutenant governor alongside gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker. The Baker-Tisei ticket lost to incumbent Democrats Deval Patrick and Tim Murray.

Katherine Clark, who had been elected a state representative in 2008, defeated Mike Day, 63.8% to 35.9%, for the Democratic nomination. Republicans nominated Malden City Councilor Craig Spadafora.

Massachusetts Senate elections, 2010: Middlesex and Essex District

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Katherine Clark of Melrose	30,492	52.3
	Republican	Craig Spadafora of Malden	27,790	47.6
Total votes			61,203

2013-present: Malden north to Reading

Redistricting in 2011 removed Lynnfield from the district, expanded to cover all of Melrose, and added the eastern half of Winchester. As it no longer represented any part of Essex County, this district became the 5th Middlesex District.

Clark was re-elected with no opponents in 2012. In 2013, she ran for U.S. representative to replace Edward Markey, who had recently been elected U.S. senator, and won the December 2013 special election, creating a vacancy in the 5th Middlesex District.

Winchester state Representative Jason Lewis won the Democratic special primary election with 43% of the vote, against 35% for Malden state Representative Christopher Fallon and 21.7% for former Stoneham School Committee member Anthony V. Guardia.

Special election, April 1, 2014: 5th Middlesex District

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jason Lewis of Winchester	10,611	53.0
	Republican	Monica C. Medeiros of Melrose	9,321	46.6
Total votes			20,121

Massachusetts Senate elections, 2014: 5th Middlesex District

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jason Lewis of Winchester	32,143	56.8
	Republican	Monica C. Medeiros of Melrose	24,406	43.1
Total votes			20,121

Massachusetts Senate elections, 2016: 5th Middlesex District

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jason Lewis of Winchester	52,954	68.9
	Republican	Vincent Lawrence Dixon of Winchester	23,628	30.7
Total votes			90,811

References

http://electionstats.state.ma.us/