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Massachusetts House of Representatives
Lower house of the Massachusetts General Court
Lower house of the Massachusetts General Court
| Field | Value | |
|---|---|---|
| background_color | ||
| name | Massachusetts | |
| House of Representatives | ||
| legislature | 193rd General Court of Massachusetts | |
| coa_pic | Seal of the House of Representatives of Massachusetts.svg | |
| session_room | Massachusetts House of Representatives 01.jpg | |
| session_res | 240px | |
| house_type | Lower house | |
| body | Massachusetts General Court | |
| term_limits | None | |
| new_session | January 4, 2023 | |
| leader1_type | Speaker | |
| leader1 | Ron Mariano (D) | |
| election1 | December 30, 2020 | |
| leader2_type | Speaker pro tempore | |
| leader2 | Kate Hogan (D) | |
| election2 | February 11, 2021 | |
| leader3_type | Majority Leader | |
| leader3 | Michael Moran (D) | |
| election3 | February 10, 2023 | |
| leader4_type | Minority Leader | |
| leader4 | Bradley Jones (R) | |
| election4 | November 21, 2002 | |
| members | 160 | |
| voting_system1 | First-past-the-post | |
| last_election1 | November 5, 2024 | |
| next_election1 | November 3, 2026 | |
| redistricting | Legislative control | |
| structure1 | ||
| * | border | darkgray}} Democratic (134)}} |
| * | border | darkgray}} Independent (1)}} |
| * | border | darkgray}} Republican (25)}} |
| term_length | 2 years | |
| authority | Chapter 1 of the Massachusetts Constitution | |
| salary | $70,537/year; set to increase every two years equal to the increase in the median salary of Massachusetts. All members receive office stipends, and chairs of committees and party leaders receive additional stipends. | |
| meeting_place | House of Representatives Chamber | |
| Massachusetts State House | ||
| Boston, Massachusetts | ||
| website | Massachusetts House of Representatives | |
| rules | Rules of the Massachusetts House of Representatives |
House of Representatives Majority (135)
Minority (25)
Massachusetts State House Boston, Massachusetts The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. The House of Representatives convenes at the Massachusetts State House in Boston, the state capital of Massachusetts.
Qualifications
Any person seeking to get elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives must meet the following qualifications:
- Be at least 18 years of age
- Be a registered voter in Massachusetts
- Be an inhabitant of the district for at least one year prior to election
- Receive at least 150 signatures on nomination papers
Representation
Originally, representatives were apportioned by town. For the first 150 persons, one representative was granted, and this ratio increased as the population of the town increased. The largest membership of the House was 749 in 1812 (214 of these being from the District of Maine); the largest House without Maine was 635 in 1837. The original distribution was changed to the current regional population system in the 20th century. Until 1978, there were 240 members of the house, a number in multi-member districts; today there are 160 in single-member districts.
Districts are named for the counties they are in and tend to stay within one county, although districts often cross county lines. Representatives serve two-year terms which are not limited.
The Sacred Cod
Within the House's debating chamber hangs the Sacred Cod of Massachusetts. The 5 ft pine carving of the cod was offered by Representative John Rowe in 1784 in commemoration of the state's maritime economy and history. Two previous carvings of the cod existed during the legislature's colonial era; the first destroyed in a fire in 1747, and the second during the American War of Independence. Since 1784, the current Sacred Cod has been present at nearly every House session, and moved to its current location when the House began convening in the State House in 1798.
In 1933, members of the Harvard Lampoon stole the cod carving as part of a prank. The theft sparked a large statewide search by the Boston and Massachusetts State Police. Following outrage from Boston newspapers and the General Court itself, the cod was anonymously handed back.
Composition
The Democrats hold a supermajority in the House.
| Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | Democratic | Unenrolled | Republican | Vacant | 187th (2011–2012) | 160 | 188th (2013–2014) | 160 | 189th (2015–2016) | 160 | 190th (2017–2018) | 160 | 191st (2019–2020) | 160 | 192nd (2021–2022) | 159 | Begin 193rd (2023–2024) | 159 | End 193rd | 157 | Begin 194th (2025–2026) | 160 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party (United States)}}" | Independent}}" | Republican Party (United States)}}" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 128 | 0 | 32 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 131 | 0 | 29 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 127 | 0 | 35 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 125 | 0 | 35 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 127 | 1 | 32 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 128 | 1 | 30 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 132 | 1 | 26 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 24 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 134 | 1 | 25 | 0 |
Leadership
The Speaker of the House presides over the House of Representatives. The Speaker is elected by the majority party caucus followed by confirmation of the full House through the passage of a House Resolution. As well as presiding over the body, the Speaker is also the chief leader, and controls the flow of legislation. Other House leaders, such as the majority and minority leaders, are elected by their respective party caucuses relative to their party's strength in the House.
Current leaders
Main article: 2023–2024 Massachusetts legislature#Leadership
Current members and districts
Main article: 2025–2026 Massachusetts legislature#Members
Current committees and members
Main article: 2025–2026 Massachusetts legislature#Committees
Past composition of the House of Representatives
Main article: Political party strength in Massachusetts
Notes
References
- Representative Districts, accessed April 9, 2006
- House Members of the General Court
References
- Lisinski, Chris, and Sam Doran. (February 5, 2023). "The bucks don't stop for Mass. legislators with raises set to kick in". State House News Service.
- "A Candidate’s Guide to State Elections".
- ''The Massachusetts State House'', p. 110, 111. Commonwealth of Massachusetts: Boston, 1953.
- [http://www.lwvma.org/legislature.shtml League of Women Voters of Massachusetts] {{webarchive. link. (October 25, 2006)
- See Amendment CI of the [[Massachusetts Constitution]], adopted by voters in 1974
- (January 11, 2008). "The 'Sacred' Cod Moves to the New State House". Mass Humanities.
- "Massachusetts House of Representatives".
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