Massachusetts at a Glance State Profile - Gov. Romney (R) - Sen. Kennedy (D) - Sen. Kerry (D) Presidential Politics Congressional Districting - 01 - Olver (D) - 02 - Neal (D) - 03 - McGovern (D) - 04 - Frank (D) - 05 - Meehan (D) - 06 - Tierney (D) - 07 - Markey (D) - 08 - Capuano (D) - 09 - Lynch (D) - 10 - Delahunt (D) Almanac 2006 Home - States & Districts - Elected Officials - Committees - Election Cycles - Guide To Usage Almanac 2004 Almanac 2002 Almanac 2000 Almanac 1998 For district profiles and additional information on the elected officials of Massachusetts, please use the pull-down menu above.

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109th Lineup: 10 D
108th Lineup: 10 D
District Map: Click here

Massachusetts's convoluted congressional district lines deserve their own biographer, someone with a sure political instinct and a touch of whimsy. This is, after all, the state whose Governor Elbridge Gerry gave name to the term "gerrymander" in the early 19th century. The state lost one seat in the 1980 and 1990 Censuses; it survived the 2000 Census without losing another. The redistricting process was a ruckus nonetheless. Many legislators wanted simply to protect all 10 incumbents, but that was hard to do because the districts were already mind-bogglingly convoluted. In July 2001, House Speaker Thomas Finneran advanced a plan to smooth out the district lines and create a district that would unite southeastern Massachusetts--the congressmen who represent the area live in Boston and next-door Newton and Quincy and far off Worcester--and a Boston-based district with large percentages of blacks and Hispanics and to eliminate the district of Martin Meehan, who was contemplating running for governor. But other politicians complained loudly and Meehan opted out of the race for governor; state senators, helped by senior incumbent Edward Markey, came up with a plan to protect incumbents. Republican Governor Jane Swift came up with her own plan, which of course didn't pass in the heavily Democratic statehouse. In January 2002, both houses agreed on an incumbent protection plan and passed it over Swift's veto.