Massachusetts's 5th congressional district

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Template other Massachusetts's 5th congressional district is a congressional district in eastern Massachusetts. The district is represented by Katherine Clark of the Democratic Party. Massachusetts's congressional redistricting after the 2010 census changed the borders of the district starting with the elections of 2012, with the new 3rd district largely taking the place of the old 5th. The 5th district covers many of the communities represented in the old 7th district.

On July 15, 2013, Ed Markey resigned from the seat to become the junior Senator from Massachusetts. On December 10, 2013, Democrat Katherine Clark won a special election to fill the seat for the remainder of the 113th Congress. She was sworn into office on December 12, 2013, and since January 2023 serves as the House Minority Whip.

The district has been in Democratic hands without interruption since 1975. Before Paul Tsongas' victory that year, it had only elected three Democrats in its entire existence and had been in Republican hands since 1895. It was one of the more moderate districts in heavily Democratic Massachusetts before redistricting in 2013. In state races, it supported Republican candidates for Governor William Weld, Paul Celluci, and Mitt Romney. In the 2007 special election to replace Marty Meehan, Republican candidate Jim Ogonowski ran an unexpectedly strong race before ultimately losing, 51–45%.

Composition

Massachusetts's congressional redistricting after the 2020 census (commencing with the 2022 election and the 118th Congress, whose House members were sworn in on January 3, 2023) assigns the 5th congressional district to much of Middlesex County, part of Norfolk County, and part of Suffolk County.

History and geography

Current

There are 23 municipalities in the 5th district, as of the 2021 redistricting. This list is sorted by county.

Middlesex County (20)

Arlington, Bedford (part; also 6th), Belmont, Cambridge (part; also 7th), Framingham, Lexington, Lincoln, Malden, Maynard, Medford, Melrose, Natick, Stoneham, Sudbury, Waltham, Watertown, Wayland, Weston, Winchester, Woburn

Norfolk County (1)

Wellesley (part; also 4th)

Suffolk County (2)

Revere, Winthrop

Past

From 2013 through 2023, the municipalities of the 5th District were:

Middlesex County

• Arlington
• Ashland
• Belmont
• Cambridge (parts of)
• Framingham
• Holliston
• Lexington
• Lincoln
• Malden
• Medford
• Melrose
• Natick
• Sherborn
• Stoneham
• Sudbury (parts of)
• Waltham
• Watertown
• Wayland
• Weston
• Winchester
• Woburn

Other

• Revere, Suffolk County
• Southborough, Worcester County
• Winthrop, Suffolk County

Recent election results from statewide races

Year	Office	Results
2008	President	align="right" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Obama 67% - 32%
	Senate	align="right" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Kerry 72% - 28%
2010	Senate (Spec.)	align="right" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Coakley 56% - 44%
	Governor	align="right" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Patrick 54% - 38%
2012	President	align="right" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Obama 67% - 33%
	Senate	align="right" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Warren 59% - 41%
2014	Senate	align="right" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Markey 70% - 30%
	Governor	align="right" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Coakley 53% - 43%
2016	President	align="right" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Clinton 69% - 25%
2018	Senate	align="right" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Warren 69% - 27%
	Governor	align="right" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Baker 60% - 40%
	Attorney General	align="right" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Healey 78% - 22%
2020	President	align="right" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Biden 74% - 23%
	Senate	align="right" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Markey 75% - 24%
2022	Governor	align="right" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Healey 73% - 25%
	Secretary of the Commonwealth	align="right" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Galvin 76% - 21%
	Attorney General	align="right" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Campbell 73% - 27%
	Auditor	align="right" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|DiZoglio 63% - 31%
2024	President	align="right" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Harris 70% - 26%
	Senate	align="right" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Warren 70% - 30%

Recent election results

1990 election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Chester G. Atkins (incumbent)	Template:Replace	49.85
		John MacGovern	101,017	45.68
	Other		9,891	4.47
Turnout			221,140
	hold		Swing

1992 election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Marty Meehan	Template:Replace	52.17
		Paul W. Cronin	96,206	37.50
	Independent	Mary Farinelli	19,077	7.44
	Independent	David E. Coleman	7,214	2.81
	Write-in		223	0.09
Turnout			256,564
	hold		Swing	+2.32

1994 election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Marty Meehan (incumbent)	Template:Replace	69.83
		David E. Coleman	60,734	30.14
	Write-in		65	0.03
Turnout			201,524
	hold		Swing	+17.66

1996 election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Marty Meehan (incumbent)	Template:Replace	99.08
	N/A	Write-in	1,708	0.92
Turnout			185,137
	hold		Swing	+29.25

1998 election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Marty Meehan (incumbent)	Template:Replace	70.70
		David E. Coleman	52,725	29.25
	Write-in		87	0.05
Turnout			180,230
	hold		Swing	-28.38

2000 election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Marty Meehan (incumbent)	Template:Replace	98.02
	N/A	Write-in	4,040	1.98
Turnout			203,641
	hold		Swing	+27.32

2002 election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Marty Meehan (incumbent)	Template:Replace	60.15
		Charles McCarthy	69,337	34.03
		Ilana Freedman	11,729	5.76
	Write-in		149	0.07
Turnout			203,777
	hold		Swing	-37.87

2004 election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Marty Meehan (incumbent)	Template:Replace	66.99
		Thomas Tierney	88,232	32.90
	Write-in		305	0.11
Turnout			268,189
	hold		Swing	+6.84

2006 election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Marty Meehan (incumbent)	Template:Replace	98.98
	N/A	Write-in	3,152	1.02
Turnout			216,832
	hold		Swing	+31.99

2007 Special election, 2007

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Niki Tsongas	Template:Replace	51.32
		Jim Ogonowski	47,770	45.10
	Independent	Patrick Murphy	2,170	2.05
	Independent	Kurt Hayes	1,125	1.06
		Kevin Thompson	494	0.47
Turnout			105,922
	hold		Swing	-47.66

2008 election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Niki Tsongas (incumbent)	Template:Replace	98.71
	N/A	Write-in	2,960	1.29
Turnout			302,397
	hold		Swing	+37.39

2010 election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Niki Tsongas (incumbent)	Template:Replace	54.84
		Jonathan A. Golnik	94,646	42.25
	Independent	Dale E. Brown	4,387	1.96
	Independent	Robert M. Clark	1,991	0.89
	All Others		147	0.07
Turnout			229,647
	hold		Swing	-43.87

2012 election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Ed Markey (incumbent)		75.5
		Tom Tierney		24.3
		Write-ins		0.2
Total votes				100.0
	hold

2014 election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Katherine Clark (incumbent)		98.3
		Write-ins		1.7
Total votes				100.0
	hold

2016 election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Katherine Clark (Incumbent)		98.6
		Write-ins		1.4
Total votes				100.0
	hold

Template:Election box write-in with party link no change

2018 election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Katherine Clark (incumbent)		75.9
		John Hugo		24.0
Total votes				100.0
	hold

Template:Election box write-in with party link no change

2020 election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Katherine Clark (incumbent)		74.3
		Caroline Colarusso		25.6
Total votes				100.0
	hold

Template:Election box write-in with party link no change

2022 election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Katherine Clark (incumbent)		74.0
		Caroline Colarusso		25.9
Total votes				100.0
	hold

2024

Template:Election box write-in with party link no change|-

2024 Massachusetts's 5th congressional district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Katherine Clark (incumbent)		98.2
Total votes				100.0
	hold

List of members representing the district

Member (District home)	Party	Years ↑	Cong ress	Electoral history	District location
District created March 4, 1789
File:George Partridge.jpg George Partridge (Duxbury)	style="background:Template:Party color" | Pro-Administration	March 4, 1789 – August 14, 1790	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1788. Resigned.	1789–1793 Barnstable County and Plymouth County
Vacant		August 15, 1790 – March 3, 1791
Shearjashub Bourne (Boston)	style="background:Template:Party color" | Pro-Administration	March 4, 1791 – March 3, 1793	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1790. Redistricted to the Template:Ushr.
District inactive		March 4, 1793 – March 3, 1795	Template:USCongressOrdinal
Nathaniel Freeman Jr. (Sandwich)	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1795 – March 3, 1799	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1794. Re-elected in 1796. Retired.	1795–1803 "1st Southern district"
Lemuel Williams (New Bedford)	Federalist	March 4, 1799 – March 3, 1803	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1799. Re-elected in 1800. Redistricted to the Template:Ushr.
Thomas Dwight (Springfield)	Federalist	March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1805	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1802. Retired.	1803–1823 "Hampshire South district"
William Ely (Springfield)	Federalist	March 4, 1805 – March 3, 1815	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1804. Re-elected in 1806. Re-elected in 1808. Re-elected in 1810. Re-elected in 1812. Retired.
File:ElijahMills.jpg Elijah H. Mills (Northampton)	Federalist	March 4, 1815 – March 3, 1819	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1814. Re-elected in 1816. Lost re-election.
Samuel Lathrop (West Springfield)	Federalist	March 4, 1819 – March 3, 1823	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1819 on the second ballot. Re-elected in 1820. Redistricted to the Template:Ushr.
Jonas Sibley (Worcester)	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1825	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1823 on the second ballot. Lost re-election.	1823–1833 "Worcester South district"
File:John Davis daguerreotype by Mathew Brady 1849.jpg John Davis (Worcester)	Anti-Jacksonian	March 4, 1825 – January 14, 1834	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1825. Re-elected in 1826. Re-elected in 1828. Re-elected in 1830. Re-elected in 1833. Resigned to become Governor of Massachusetts.
					1833–1843
Vacant		January 15, 1834 – February 16, 1834	Template:USCongressOrdinal
File:LLincolnJr.jpg Levi Lincoln Jr. (Worcester)	Anti-Jacksonian	February 17, 1834 – March 3, 1837	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected to finish Davis's term. Re-elected later in 1834. Re-elected in 1836. Re-elected in 1838. Re-elected in 1840. Resigned to become Collector of the Port of Boston.
	nowrap style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Whig	March 4, 1837 – March 16, 1841
Vacant		March 17, 1841 – May 2, 1841	Template:USCongressOrdinal
File:Charles Hudson (Massachusetts).png Charles Hudson (Westminster)	rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Whig	May 3, 1841 – March 3, 1849	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected to finish Lincoln's term. Re-elected late in 1843. Re-elected in 1844. Re-elected in 1846. Lost re-election.
	1843–1853
File:Charles Allen (Massachusetts Congressman).jpg Charles Allen (Worcester)		Free Soil	March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1853	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected late in 1849. Re-elected late in 1851. Retired.
File:William Appleton by Southworth & Hawes c1852 (cropped).png William Appleton (Boston)	style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Whig	March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Redistricted from the Template:Ushr and re-elected in 1852. Lost re-election.	1853–1863
File:Burlingame.gif Anson Burlingame (Cambridge)	style="background-color:Template:Party color" | American	March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1857	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1854. Re-elected in 1856. Re-elected in 1858. Lost re-election.
	nowrap style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Republican	March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1861
File:William Appleton by Southworth & Hawes c1852 (cropped).png William Appleton (Boston)	Template:Party shading/Constitutional Union | Constitutional Unionist	March 4, 1861 – September 27, 1861	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1860. Resigned because of failing health.
Vacant		September 28, 1861 – December 1, 1861
File:Samuel Hooper from Mass.gif Samuel Hooper (Boston)	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Republican	December 2, 1861 – March 3, 1863		Elected to finish Appleton's term. Redistricted to the Template:Ushr.
File:JohnBAlley.jpg John B. Alley (Lynn)	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Republican	March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1867	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Redistricted from the Template:Ushr and re-elected in 1862. Re-elected in 1864.	1863–1873
File:Benjamin Franklin Butler Brady-Handy.jpg Benjamin F. Butler (Lowell)	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Republican	March 4, 1867 – March 3, 1873	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1866. Re-elected in 1868. Re-elected in 1870. Redistricted to the Template:Ushr.
File:Daniel W Gooch.png Daniel W. Gooch (Melrose)	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Republican	March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1875	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1872. Lost re-election.	1873–1883
File:Nathaniel Prentice Banks.jpg Nathaniel P. Banks (Waltham)	Template:Party shading/Independent | Independent	March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1877	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1874. Re-elected in 1876. Lost renomination.
	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Republican	March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1879
File:Selwyn Zadock Bowman.png Selwyn Z. Bowman (Somerville)	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Republican	March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1883	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1878. Re-elected in 1880. Lost re-election.
File:Leopold Morse.png Leopold Morse (Boston)	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Democratic	March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1885	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Redistricted from the Template:Ushr and re-elected in 1882. Retired.	1883–1893
File:Edward Daniel Hayden.png Edward D. Hayden (Woburn)	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Republican	March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1889	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1884. Re-elected in 1886. Retired.
File:Nathaniel Prentice Banks.jpg Nathaniel P. Banks (Waltham)	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Republican	March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1891	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1888. Retired.
File:Sherman Hoar.png Sherman Hoar (Waltham)	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Democratic	March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1893	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1890. Declined renomination.
File:Moses T. Stevens.png Moses T. Stevens (North Andover)	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Democratic	March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1895	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Redistricted from the Template:Ushr and re-elected in 1892.	1893–1903
File:William S. Knox (Massachusetts Congressman).jpg William S. Knox (Lawrence)	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Republican	March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1903	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1894. Re-elected in 1896. Re-elected in 1898. Re-elected in 1900. Retired.
File:Butler Ames Massachusetts Congressman.png Butler Ames (Lowell)	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Republican	March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1913	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1902. Re-elected in 1904. Re-elected in 1906. Re-elected in 1908. Re-elected in 1910. Retired.	1903–1913
File:John Jacob Rogers.png John Jacob Rogers (Lowell)	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Republican	March 4, 1913 – March 28, 1925	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1912. Re-elected in 1914. Re-elected in 1916. Re-elected in 1918. Re-elected in 1920. Re-elected in 1922. Re-elected in 1924. Died.	1913–1933
Vacant		March 28, 1925 – June 30, 1925	Template:USCongressOrdinal
File:Edith nourse rogers.jpg Edith Nourse Rogers (Lowell)	rowspan=4 style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Republican	June 30, 1925 – September 10, 1960	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected to finish her husband's term. Re-elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. Re-elected in 1930. Re-elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1944. Re-elected in 1946. Re-elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1950. Re-elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1958. Died.
	1933–1943
	1943–1953
	1953–1963
Vacant		September 10, 1960 – January 3, 1961	Template:USCongressOrdinal
File:Frank B. Morse.jpg F. Bradford Morse (Lowell)	rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Republican	January 3, 1961 – May 1, 1972	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1960. Re-elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Resigned to become U.N. Under Secretary General for Political and General Assembly Affairs.
	1963–1973
Vacant		May 1, 1972 – January 3, 1973	Template:USCongressOrdinal
File:Paul W. Cronin.jpg Paul W. Cronin (Andover)	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Republican	January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1975	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1972. Lost re-election.	1973–1983
File:Senator Paul Tsongas.jpg Paul Tsongas (Lowell)	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Democratic	January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1979	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Retired to run for U.S. senator.
File:James Shannon.jpg James Shannon (Lawrence)	rowspan=2 style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Democratic	January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1983	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1980. Re-elected in 1982. Retired to run for U.S. senator.
	January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1985	1983–1993
File:ChesterGAtkins.jpg Chester G. Atkins (Concord)	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Democratic		January 3, 1985 – January 3, 1993	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Lost renomination.
File:Marty Meehan official portrait.jpg Marty Meehan (Lowell)	rowspan=2 style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Democratic	January 3, 1993 – July 1, 2007	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Resigned to become Chancellor of University of Massachusetts Lowell.	1993–2003
	2003–2013
Vacant		July 1, 2007 – October 16, 2007	Template:USCongressOrdinal
File:Niki Tsongas, official 110th Congress photo portrait.jpg Niki Tsongas (Lowell)	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Democratic	October 16, 2007 – January 3, 2013	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected to finish Meehan's term. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Redistricted to the Template:Ushr.
File:Ed Markey, Official Portrait, 112th Congress 2.jpg Ed Markey (Malden)	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Democratic	January 3, 2013 – July 15, 2013	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Redistricted from the Template:Ushr and re-elected in 2012. Resigned when elected U.S. senator.	2013–2023 File:Massachusetts US Congressional District 5 (since 2013).tif
Vacant		July 15, 2013 – December 10, 2013
File:Katherine Clark 114th.jpg Katherine Clark (Revere)	rowspan=2 style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Democratic	December 10, 2013 – present	Template:USCongressOrdinal	Elected to finish Markey's term. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. Re-elected in 2024.
	2023–present File:Massachusetts's 5th congressional district (since 2023).svg
Member (District home)	Party	Years ↑	Cong ress	Electoral history	District location

Further reading

• Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present

External links

Maps

• Map of Massachusetts's 5th Congressional District, via Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth

Election results

• CNN.com 2004 election results
• CNN.com 2006 election results
• Associated Press 2007 election results
• Massachusetts Elections Division 2008 Return of Votes