Massachusetts's 5th congressional district

Massachusetts's 5th congressional district is a congressional district in eastern Massachusetts. The district is represented by Katherine Clark. Massachusetts congressional redistricting after the 2010 census has 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.[3] The 5th district covers many of the communities represented in the old 7th district. As of 2010, the population of the 5th congressional district was 727,515. 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.[4] She was sworn into office on December 12, 2013.

Massachusetts's 5th congressional district
Massachusetts's 5th congressional district - since January 3, 2013.
Representative	Katherine Clark D–Melrose
Median income	$98,775[1]
Cook PVI	D+18[2]

Demographics

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, ultimately losing 51-45%.

Election results from presidential races

Year	Office	Result
2000	President	Gore 57 - 36%
2004	President	Kerry 57 - 41%
2008	President	Obama 66.2 - 32%
2012	President	Obama 65.2 - 33%
2016	President	Clinton 69.3 - 25.7%

Cities and towns in the district

Cities and towns in the district since 2013

Map of the 5th congressional district (in purple), from 2013 to 2023

Map of Cambridge, noting Wards, Precincts and congressional districts, including the 5th district (in green) and the 7th district (in orange), starting in 2013.[5]

In Middlesex County:

Arlington, Ashland, Belmont, Cambridge: Ward 3 Precinct 2A, Ward 4 Precincts 2 and 3, Wards 6, 7, 8, and 9, Ward 10 Precincts 1 and 2, Framingham, Holliston, Lexington, Lincoln, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Natick, Sherborn, Stoneham, Sudbury: Precincts 1A, 2, 3, 4, and 5, Waltham, Watertown, Wayland, Weston, Winchester and Woburn.

In Suffolk County:

Revere, and Winthrop.

In Worcester County:

Southborough.

Cities and towns in the district prior to 2013

1840s

"The towns of Ashburnham, Auburn, Barre, Brookfield, Charlton, Dana, Douglas, Dudley, Gardner, Grafton, Hardwick, Holden, Hubbardston, Leicester, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, New Braintree, North Brookfield, Northbridge, Oakham, Oxford, Paxton, Petersham, Phillipston, Princeton, Rutland, Southbridge, Spencer, Sturbridge, Sutton, Templeton, Upton, Uxbridge, Warren, Webster, West Boylston, Westminster, Winchendon, and Worcester, in the County of Worcester."[6]

1850s

"The wards numbered one, two, three, four, five, and six, in the city of Boston, and the towns of Chelsea and North Chelsea, and Winthrop, in the county of Suffolk; and the city of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex."[7]

1870s

"Arlington, Belmont, Wards, 3, 4, and 5, Boston, Burlington, Everett, Lexington, Lynn, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Nahant, Saugus, Somerville, Stoneham, Swampscott, Wakefield, Waltham, Winchester, and Woburn."[8]

1880s-1900s

1910s-1920s

"Essex County: Towns of Andover and Methuen. Middlesex County: Cities of Lowell and Woburn; towns of Acton, Ayer, Bedford, Billerica, Boxboro, Burlington, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Concord, Dracut, Dunstable, Groton, Hudson, Lincoln, Littleton, Maynard, Pepperell, Reading, Shirley, Stow, Tewksbury, Tyngsboro, Westford, and Wilmington. Worcester County: Towns of Berlin, Bolton, Harvard, and Northboro."[9][10]

1930s-1960s

1970s

"Essex County: City of Lawrence. Towns of Andover and Methuen. Middlesex County: City of Lowell. Towns of Acton, Ashby, Bedford, Billerica, Boxborough, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Concord, Dracut, Dunstable, Groton, Lexington, Littleton, North Reading, Pepperell, Tewksbury, Townsend, Tyngsborough, Westford, and Wilmington."[11]

2003-2013

The district from 2003 to 2013

In Essex County:

Andover, Haverhill, Lawrence, Methuen.

In Middlesex County:

Acton, Ayer, Billerica, Boxborough, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Concord, Dracut, Dunstable, Groton, Hudson, Littleton, Lowell, Maynard, Shirley, Stow, Sudbury, Tewksbury, Tyngsborough, Wayland (Precincts 1, 3, and 4), Westford.

In Worcester County:

Berlin, Bolton, Harvard, Lancaster.

Recent election results

1990 election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Democratic	Chester G. Atkins	110,232	49.85
	Republican	John MacGovern	101,017	45.68
	Other		9,891	4.47
Turnout			221,140
	Democratic hold		Swing

1992 election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Democratic	Marty Meehan	133,844	52.17	+2.32
	Republican	Paul W. Cronin	96,206	37.50	-8.18
	Independent	Mary Farinelli	19,077	7.44	+7.44
	Independent	David E. Coleman	7,214	2.81	+2.81
	Write-in		223	0.09	-4.38
Turnout			256,564
	Democratic hold		Swing	+2.32

1994 election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Democratic	Marty Meehan	140,725	69.83	+17.66
	Republican	David E. Coleman	60,734	30.14	-7.36
	Write-in		65	0.03	-0.06
Turnout			201,524
	Democratic hold		Swing	+17.66

1996 election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Democratic	Marty Meehan	183,429	99.08	+29.25
	Republican	Unopposed			-30.14
	Write-in		1,708	0.92	+0.89
Turnout			185,137
	Democratic hold		Swing	+29.25

1998 election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Democratic	Marty Meehan	127,418	70.70	-28.38
	Republican	David E. Coleman	52,725	29.25	+29.25
	Write-in		87	0.05	-0.87
Turnout			180,230
	Democratic hold		Swing	-28.38

2000 election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Democratic	Marty Meehan	199,601	98.02	+27.32
	Republican	Unopposed			-29.25
	Write-in		4,040	1.98	+1.93
Turnout			203,641
	Democratic hold		Swing	+27.32

2002 election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Democratic	Marty Meehan	122,562	60.15	-37.87
	Republican	Charles McCarthy	69,337	34.03	+34.03
	Libertarian	Ilana Freedman	11,729	5.76	+5.76
	Write-in		149	0.07	-1.91
Turnout			203,777
	Democratic hold		Swing	-37.87

2004 election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Democratic	Marty Meehan	179,652	66.99	+6.84
	Republican	Thomas Tierney	88,232	32.90	-1.13
	Write-in		305	0.11	+0.04
Turnout			268,189
	Democratic hold		Swing	+6.84

2006 election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Democratic	Marty Meehan	159,120	98.98	+31.99
	Republican	Unopposed			-32.90
	Write-in		3,152	1.02	+0.91
Turnout			216,832
	Democratic hold		Swing	+31.99

2007 Special election, 2007

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Democratic	Niki Tsongas	54,363	51.32	-47.66
	Republican	Jim Ogonowski	47,770	45.10	+45.10
	Independent	Patrick Murphy	2,170	2.05	+2.05
	Independent	Kurt Hayes	1,125	1.06	+1.06
	Constitution	Kevin Thompson	494	0.47	+0.47
Turnout			105,922
	Democratic hold		Swing	-47.66

2008 election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Democratic	Niki Tsongas	225,947	98.71	+37.39
	Republican	Unopposed			-45.10
	All Others		2,960	1.29	-2.29
Turnout			302,397
	Democratic hold		Swing	+37.39

2010 election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Democratic	Niki Tsongas	122,858	54.84	-43.87
	Republican	Jonathan A. Golnik	94,646	42.25	+42.25
	Independent	Dale E. Brown	4,387	1.96	+1.96
	Independent	Robert M. Clark	1,991	0.89	+0.89
	All Others		147	0.07	-1.22
Turnout			229,647
	Democratic hold		Swing	-43.87

List of members representing the district

Member	Party	Years ↑	Cong ress	District home	Electoral history	District location
George Partridge	Pro-Administration	March 4, 1789 – August 14, 1790	1st	Duxbury	Elected in 1788. Resigned.	1789–1795 Barnstable County and Plymouth County
Vacant		August 15, 1790 – March 3, 1791
Shearjashub Bourne	Pro-Administration	March 4, 1791 – March 3, 1793	2nd	Boston	Elected in 1790. Redistricted to the 3rd district.
District eliminated		March 4, 1793 – March 3, 1795
Nathaniel Freeman Jr.	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1795 – March 3, 1799	4th 5th	Sandwich	Elected in 1794. Re-elected in 1796. Retired.	1795–1803 "1st Southern district"
Lemuel Williams	Federalist	March 4, 1799 – March 3, 1803	6th 7th	New Bedford	Elected in 1799. Re-elected in 1800. Redistricted to the 8th district.
Thomas Dwight	Federalist	March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1805	8th	Springfield	Elected in 1802. Retired.	1803–1823 "Hampshire South district"
William Ely	Federalist	March 4, 1805 – March 3, 1815	9th 10th 11th 12th 13th	Springfield	Elected in 1804. Re-elected in 1806. Re-elected in 1808. Re-elected in 1810. Re-elected in 1812. Retired.
Elijah H. Mills	Federalist	March 4, 1815 – March 3, 1819	14th 15th	Northampton	Elected in 1814. Re-elected in 1816. Lost re-election.
Samuel Lathrop	Federalist	March 4, 1819 – March 3, 1823	16th 17th	West Springfield	Elected in 1819. on the second ballot]]. Re-elected in 1820. Redistricted to the 8th district.
Jonas Sibley	Adams-Clay Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1825	18th	Sutton	Elected in 1823. on the second ballot]]. Lost re-election.	1823–1833 "Worcester South district"
John Davis	Anti-Jacksonian	March 4, 1825 – January 14, 1834	19th 20th 21st 22nd 23rd	Worcester	Elected in 1825. Resigned to become Governor of Massachusetts.
						1833–1843 [data unknown/missing]
Vacant		January 15, 1834 – February 16, 1834
Levi Lincoln Jr.	Anti-Jacksonian	February 17, 1834 – March 3, 1837	23rd 24th 25th 26th	Worcester	Elected to finish Davis's term. Resigned to become Collector of the Port of Boston.
	Whig	March 4, 1837 – March 16, 1841
Vacant		March 17, 1841 – May 2, 1841
Charles Hudson	Whig	May 3, 1841 – March 3, 1843	27th 28th 29th 30th	Westminster	[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election.
		March 4, 1843 – May 2, 1849				1843–1853 [data unknown/missing]
Charles Allen	Free Soil	March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1853	31st 32nd	Worcester	[data unknown/missing] Redistricted to the 9th district.
William Appleton	Whig	March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855	33rd	Boston	Redistricted from the 1st district and re-elected in 1852. Lost re-election.	[data unknown/missing]
Anson Burlingame	American	March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1857	34th 35th 36th	Boston	[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election.
	Republican	March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1861
William Appleton	Constitutional Unionist	March 4, 1861 – September 27, 1861	37th	Boston	[data unknown/missing] Resigned because of failing health.
Vacant		September 28, 1861 – December 1, 1861
Samuel Hooper[12]	Republican	December 2, 1861 – March 3, 1863	37th	Boston	Elected to finish Davis's term. Redistricted to the 4th district.
John B. Alley	Republican	March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1867	38th 39th	Lynn	Redistricted from the 6th district and re-elected in 1862. [data unknown/missing]	[data unknown/missing]
Benjamin F. Butler[13]	Republican	March 4, 1867 – March 3, 1873	40th 41st 42nd	Lowell	[data unknown/missing] Redistricted to the 6th district.
Daniel W. Gooch	Republican	March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1875	43rd	Melrose	[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election.	[data unknown/missing]
Nathaniel P. Banks[14]	Independent	March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1877	44th 45th	Waltham	Elected in 1874. Lost renomination.
	Republican	March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1879
Selwyn Z. Bowman[15]	Republican	March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1883 46th 47th	Somerville	[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election.
Leopold Morse	Democratic	March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1885	48th	Boston	Redistricted from the 4th district and re-elected in 1882. Retired.	[data unknown/missing]
Edward D. Hayden	Republican	March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1889	49th 50th	Woburn	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
Nathaniel P. Banks	Republican	March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1891	51st	Waltham	Elected in 1888. Retired.
Sherman Hoar	Democratic	March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1893	52nd	Concord	[data unknown/missing] Declined renomination.
Moses T. Stevens	Democratic	March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1895	53rd	North Andover	Redistricted from the 8th district and re-elected in 1892. [data unknown/missing]	[data unknown/missing]
William S. Knox[16]	Republican	March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1903	54th 55th 56th 57th	Lawrence	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
Butler Ames[17]	Republican	March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1913	58th 59th 60th 61st 62nd	Lowell	[data unknown/missing] Retired.	[data unknown/missing]
John Jacob Rogers	Republican	March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1923	63rd 64th 65th 66th 67th 68th 69th	Lowell	[data unknown/missing] Died.	[data unknown/missing]
		March 4, 1923 – March 28, 1925				[data unknown/missing]
Vacant		March 28, 1925 – June 30, 1925
Edith Nourse Rogers[18]	Republican	June 30, 1925 – March 3, 1933	69th 70th 71st 72nd 73rd 74th 75th 76th 77th 78th 79th 80th 81st 82nd 83rd 84th 85th 86th	Lowell	Elected to finish her husband's term. Died.
		March 4, 1933 – March 3, 1943				[data unknown/missing]
		March 4, 1943 – March 3, 1953				[data unknown/missing]
		March 4, 1953 – September 10, 1960				[data unknown/missing]
Vacant		September 10, 1960 – January 3, 1961
F. Bradford Morse[19]	Republican	January 3, 1961 – January 3, 1963	87th 88th 89th 90th 91st 92nd	Lowell	[data unknown/missing] Resigned to become U.N. Under Secretary General for Political and General Assembly Affairs.
		January 3, 1963 – May 1, 1972				[data unknown/missing]
Vacant		May 1, 1972 – January 3, 1973
Paul W. Cronin	Republican	January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1975	93rd	Andover	[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election.	[data unknown/missing]
Paul Tsongas	Democratic	January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1979	94th 95th	Lowell	[data unknown/missing] Retired to run for U.S. Senator.
James Shannon	Democratic	January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1983	96th 97th 98th	Lawrence	[data unknown/missing] Retired to run for U.S. Senator.
		January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1985				[data unknown/missing]
Chester G. Atkins[20]	Democratic	January 3, 1985 – January 3, 1993	99th 100th 101st 102nd	Concord	[data unknown/missing] Lost renomination.
Marty Meehan	Democratic	January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2003	103rd 104th 105th 106th 107th 108th 109th 110th	Lowell	[data unknown/missing] Resigned to become Chancellor of University of Massachusetts Lowell.	[data unknown/missing]
		January 3, 2003 – July 1, 2007				[data unknown/missing]
Vacant		July 1, 2007 – October 16, 2007	110th 111th 112th
Niki Tsongas	Democratic	October 16, 2007 – January 3, 2013	Lowell	Elected to finish Meehan's term. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Redistricted to the 3rd district.
Ed Markey	Democratic	January 3, 2013 – July 15, 2013	113th	Malden	Redistricted from the 7th district and re-elected in 2012. Resigned when elected U.S. Senator.	[data unknown/missing]
Vacant		July 15, 2013 – December 10, 2013
Katherine Clark	Democratic	December 10, 2013 – Present	113th 114th 115th 116th	Melrose	Elected to finish Markey's term. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018.
Member	Party	Years ↑	Cong ress	District home	Electoral history	District location

References

1. https://www.census.gov/mycd/?st=25&cd=05
2. "Partisan Voting Index – Districts of the 115th Congress" (PDF). The Cook Political Report. April 7, 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 7, 2017. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
3. http://www.sec.state.ma.us/spr/sprcat/catpdf2010/cong2010/CongressionalDistrict_2011State.pdf Access date: March 28, 2012.
4. "Elections: Special State Election". www.sec.state.ma.us. Archived from the original on March 16, 2018. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
5. "pdf". cambridgema.gov. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
6. "State Apportionment". Massachusetts Register ... for 1843. Boston: Loring.
7. "Congressional Districts". Massachusetts Register 1862. Boston: Adams, Sampson, & Co.
8. "Congressional Districts of Massachusetts". Massachusetts Register and Business Directory, 1878. Boston: Sampson, Davenport, and Co.
9. "Massachusetts". Official Congressional Directory: 64th Congress (2nd ed.). Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1916.
10. "Massachusetts". Official Congressional Directory: 69th Congress. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1926.
11. "Massachusetts", 1977 Official Congressional Directory: 95th Congress, Washington DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1977
12. "Massachusetts". Congressional Directory for the Second Session of the Thirty-Seventh Congress. Washington DC: House of Representatives. 1861. Archived from the original on March 16, 2016.
13. Ben. Perley Poore (1869). "Massachusetts". Congressional Directory for the First Session of the Forty-First Congress (2nd ed.). Washington DC: Government Printing Office.
14. Ben. Perley Poore (1878). "Massachusetts". Congressional Directory: 45th Congress (3rd ed.). Washington DC: Government Printing Office. Archived from the original on March 17, 2016.
15. Ben. Perley Poore (1882). "Massachusetts". Congressional Directory: 47th Congress (3rd ed.). Washington DC: Government Printing Office.
16. L.A. Coolidge (1897). "Massachusetts". Official Congressional Directory: Fifty-Fifth Congress. Washington DC: Government Printing Office.
17. A.J. Halford (1909). "Massachusetts". Congressional Directory: 60th Congress (2nd ed.). Washington DC: Government Printing Office.
18. "Massachusetts". Official Congressional Directory: 75th Congress (2nd ed.). Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1938.
19. "Massachusetts". Official Congressional Directory: 90th Congress. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1968.
20. "Massachusetts". 1991-1992 Official Congressional Directory: 102nd Congress. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1991.

• Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• 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