Elections for the Massachusetts House of Representatives were held on November 7, 2006, with all of the 160 seats in the House up for election. The term of Representatives elected is two years, January 2007 until January 2009.Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Article LXXXII. The 2006 Massachusetts Senate election occurred on the same day as the House election, along with Federal and Gubernatorial elections.
The House session ending in January 2007 consists of 139 (87%) Democrats, and 21 (13%) Republicans. The Democrats hold more than a two-thirds majority of the seats in the House. For the Republicans to break that two-thirds majority, they were required to gain 33 Democratic-held seats, a feat that was impossible to accomplish in 2006 as only 32 Democrats faced Republican challengers. Similarly, Republicans could not hope to gain the 59 seats needed to take control of the chamber, as there were not enough challengers to make that possible. Conversely, the Democrats challenged only 8 of the 21 Republican-held seats.
128 of the 160 seats were left uncontested by one of the major parties in the 2006 election.
Predictions SourceRankingAs of Rothenberg | November 4, 2006
Election results Two seats changed parties, both Republican seats that switched to Democrats. In the 4th Barnstable District, Sarah Peake (D-Provincetown) defeated Aaron Maloy (R-Orleans) to take the seat of retiring Shirley Gomes (R). In the 13th Middlesex, incumbent Susan W. Pope (R-Wayland) was defeated by Thomas Conroy (D-Wayland). No other incumbents were defeated, and all other open seats were retained by the party holding them.
Barnstable County District Incumbent Hometown Incumbent Status Competing candidates 2006 Result Vote % of winner in 2004 1 Cleon Turner (D) Dennis Running Cleon Turner (D-Dennis) Dick Neitz (R-Yarmouth) 52.0% 48.0% 51% 2 Demetrius Atsalis (D) Barnstable Running Demetrius Atsalis (D-Barnstable) William Crocker (R-Barnstable) 56.0% 44.0% 59% 3 Matthew Patrick (D) Falmouth Running Matthew Patrick (D-Falmouth) Unopposed 98.5% 53% 4 Shirley Gomes (R) Harwich Retiring Sarah Peake (D-Provincetown) Aaron Maloy (R-Orleans) 55.7% 44.2% 57% 5 Jeffrey Davis Perry (R) Sandwich Running Jeffrey Davis Perry (R-Sandwich) Unopposed 98.9% 66%
Primary results District Candidates Votes % 4 (D) Sarah Peake 4,381 55% Raymond Gottwald 1,875 24% Ronald Bergstrom 1,652 21% 4 (R) Aaron Maloy (873) (34%) Donald Howell (862) (34%) Andrew Buckley (831) (32%)
Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket Counties District Incumbent Hometown Incumbent Status Competing candidates 2006 Result Vote % of winner in 2004 1 Eric Turkington (D) Falmouth Running Eric Turkington (D-Falmouth) Jim Powell (R-Martha's Vineyard) 70.3% 29.6% 70%
Berkshire County District Incumbent Hometown Incumbent Status Competing candidates 2006 Result Vote % of winner in 2004 1 Daniel E. Bosley (D) North Adams Running Daniel E. Bosley (D-North Adams) Unopposed 99.6% 82% 2 Denis Guyer (D) Dalton Running Denis Guyer (D-Dalton) Stefan Racz (I-Shelburne Falls) 77.2% 22.7% 70% 3 Christopher Speranzo (D) Pittsfield Running Christopher Speranzo (D-Pittsfield) Unopposed 99.6% 100% 4 William "Smitty" Pignatelli (D) Lenox Running William "Smitty" Pignatelli (D-Lenox) Unopposed 99.6% 73%
Bristol County District Incumbent Hometown Incumbent Status Competing candidates 2006 Result Vote % of winner in 2004 1 Ginny Coppola (R) Foxborough Retiring F. Jay Barrows (R-Mansfield) Claire Naughton (D-Foxborough) 51.0% 48.7% 100% 2 John Lepper (R) Attleboro Running John Lepper (R-Attleboro) Kate Jackson (D-Attleboro) 54.4% 45.6% 100% 3 James Fagan (D) Taunton Running James Fagan (D-Taunton) Unopposed 99.2% 100% 4 Philip Travis (D) Rehoboth Retiring Steven D'Amico (D-Seekonk) Steven Howitt (R-Seekonk) 56.9% 43.0% 63% 5 Patricia Haddad (D) Somerset Running Patricia Haddad (D-Somerset) Unopposed 99.5% 80% 6 David B. Sullivan (D) Fall River Running David B. Sullivan (D-Fall River) Unopposed 99.7% 100% 7 Robert Correia (D) Fall River Running Robert Correia (D-Fall River) Raymond Leary (L-Fall River) 86.5% 13.4% 85% 8 Michael Rodrigues (D) Westport Running Michael Rodrigues (D-Westport) Unopposed 99.9% 100% 9 John F. Quinn (D) Dartmouth Running John F. Quinn (D-Dartmouth) Unopposed 99.0% 100% 10 William M. Straus (D) Mattapoisett Running William M. Straus (D-Mattapoisett) Peter Winters (R-Marion) 70.8% 29.2% 65% 11 Robert Koczera (D) New Bedford Running Robert Koczera (D-New Bedford) Dennis Dellaire (I-New Bedford) 64.4% 35.5% 100% 12 Stephen Canessa (D) New Bedford Running Stephen Canessa (D-New Bedford) Mark A. Howland (I-New Bedford) 69.2% 30.5% 100% 13 Antonio Cabral (D) New Bedford Running Antonio Cabral (D-New Bedford) Carlos Felix (I-New Bedford) Robert Gardner (I-New Bedford) 78.9% 6.5% 14.5% 100% 14 Elizabeth Poirier (R) North Attleborough Running Elizabeth Poirier (R-North Attleborough) Unopposed 98.8% 65%
Essex County District Incumbent Hometown Incumbent Status Competing candidates 2006 Result Vote % of winner in 2004 1 Michael A. Costello (D) Newburyport Running Michael A. Costello (D-Newburyport) Unopposed 100% 66% 2 Harriett Stanley (D) West Newbury Running Harriett Stanley (D-West Newbury) Evan O'Reilly (R-Georgetown) 62% 38% 63% 3 Brian Dempsey (D) Haverhill Running Brian Dempsey (D-Haverhill) Unopposed 100% 68% 4 Bradford Hill (R) Ipswich Running Bradford Hill (R-Ipswich) Unopposed 100% 62% 5 Anthony Verga (D) Gloucester Running Anthony Verga (D-Gloucester) Unopposed 100% 100% 6 Mary Grant (D) Beverly Running Mary Grant (D-Beverly) Donato Paglia (I-Beverly) 81% 19% 67% 7 John D. Keenan (D) Salem Running John D. Keenan (D-Salem) Unopposed 100% 74% 8 Douglas W. Petersen (D) Marblehead Running Douglas W. Petersen (D-Marblehead) Unopposed 100% 65% 9 Mark Falzone (D) Saugus Running Mark Falzone (D-Saugus) Unopposed 100% 66% 10 Robert Fennell (D) Lynn Running Robert Fennell (D-Lynn) Unopposed 100% 100% 11 Steven Walsh (D) Lynn Running Steven Walsh (D-Lynn) Unopposed 100% 100% 12 Joyce Spiliotis (D) Peabody Running Joyce Spiliotis (D-Peabody) Jason Harding (R-Peabody) 69% 31% 66% 13 Theodore C. Speliotis (D) Peabody Running Theodore C. Speliotis (D-Danvers) Unopposed 100% 58% 14 David Torrisi (D) North Andover Running David Torrisi (D-North Andover) Unopposed 100% 66% 15 Arthur Broadhurst (D) Methuen Defeated in Run for Northern Essex Register of Deeds Linda Dean Campbell (D-Methuen) Robert Andrew (R-Methuen) Kenneth Hendrick (I-Methuen) 61% 28% 11% 100% 16 William Lantigua (D) Lawrence Running William Lantigua (D-Lawrence) Unopposed 100% 57% 17 Barry R. Finegold (D) Andover Running Barry R. Finegold (D-Andover) Unopposed 100% 62% 18 Barbara A. L'Italien (D) Andover Running Barbara A. L'Italien (D-Andover) Lawrence Brennan (R-Georgetown) 59% 41% 58%
Franklin County District Incumbent Hometown Incumbent Status Competing candidates 2006 Result Vote % of winner in 2004 1 Stephen Kulik (D) Worthington Running Stephen Kulik (D-Worthington) Unopposed 100% 71% 2 Christopher Donelan (D) Orange Running Christopher Donelan (D-Orange) Unopposed 100% 76%
Hampden County District Incumbent Hometown Incumbent Status Competing candidates 2006 Result Vote % of winner in 2004 1 Todd M. Smola (R) Palmer Running Todd M. Smola (R-Palmer) Unopposed 100% 63% 2 Mary S. Rogeness (R) Longmeadow Running Mary S. Rogeness (R-Longmeadow) Unopposed 100% 100% 3 Daniel F. Keenan (D) Southwick Resigned Rosemary Sandlin (D-Agawam) Robert Magovern (R-Agawam) Owen Broadhurst (G-Agawam) Joseph Schebel (I-Agawam) 50% 40% 3% 7% 72% 4 Donald F. Humason Jr. (R) Westfield Running Donald F. Humason Jr. (R-Westfield) Unopposed 100% 100% 5 Michael F. Kane (D) Holyoke Running Michael F. Kane (D-Holyoke) Unopposed 100% 100% 6 James T. Welch (D) West Springfield Running James T. Welch (D-West Springfield) Unopposed 100% 64% 7 Thomas M. Petrolati (D) Ludlow Running Thomas M. Petrolati (D-Ludlow) Unopposed 100% 100% 8 Joseph F. Wagner (D) Chicopee Running Joseph F. Wagner (D-Chicopee) Robert Sliski (I-Chicopee) 81% 19% 82% 9 Sean Curran (D) Springfield Running Sean Curran (D-Springfield) Robert J. Underwood (L-Springfield) Megan Anzalotti (I-Springfield) 77% 18% 5% 100% 10 Cheryl A. Rivera (D) Springfield Running Cheryl A. Rivera (D-Springfield) George Vazquez (R-Springfield) Kyle Burns (I-Springfield) 79% 15% 6% 72% 11 Benjamin Swan (D) Springfield Running Benjamin Swan (D-Springfield) Unopposed 100% 79% 12 Gale D. Candaras (D) Wilbraham Running for State Senate Angelo Puppolo (D-Springfield) Christopher Leisey (R-Wilbraham) 59% 41% 63%
Hampshire County District Incumbent Hometown Incumbent Status Competing candidates 2006 Result Vote % of winner in 2004 1 Peter V. Kocot (D) Northampton Running Peter V. Kocot (D-Northampton) John Andrulis (R-Northampton) 82% 18% 80% 2 John W. Scibak (D) South Hadley Running John W. Scibak (D-South Hadley) Unopposed 100% 100% 3 Ellen Story (D) Amherst Running Ellen Story (D-Amherst) Unopposed 100% 78%
Middlesex County