Despite the retirement of 21 incumbent state lawmakers, the composition of the Massachusetts House and Senate remains largely unchanged following the recent election. Most incumbents faced little competition in 2024, securing re-election with ease.
The NFIB MA PAC endorsed a few candidates this year, both incumbents and challengers, despite many legislators being ineligible for endorsement due to their performance on the 2023-24 NFIB Voting Record. The outcomes were as follows:
In the Senate races, Kelly Dooner won in Third Bristol and Plymouth, Peter Durant retained his seat in Worcester and Hampshire, and Ryan Fattman secured victory in Worcester and Hampden. However, Nicholas Pirro was defeated in Worcester and Middlesex.
For the House elections, Michael Chaisson emerged victorious in 1st Bristol; Nick Boldyga retained his seat in 3rd Hampden; Marc Lombardo continued his term in 22nd Middlesex; David DeCoste won again in 5th Plymouth; Kenneth Sweezey succeeded in 6th Plymouth; Alyson Sullivan-Almeida maintained her position in 7th Plymouth; while Donald Berthiaume remained successful in 5th Worcester. Conversely, Lynne Archambault lost her bid for 1st Middlesex, Jesse Brown was defeated in 1st Plymouth, and Bruce Chester did not win in 2nd Worcester.
A significant development during this election was the defeat of Question 5, which proposed phasing out the tipped wage. "Question 5 was soundly defeated with 64% of Massachusetts voters rejecting this job-killing proposal filed by a group out of California," according to NFIB's statement. The organization joined forces with the Committee to Protect Tips—a coalition of business associations, chambers of commerce, and restaurant operators—to oppose this measure.
The proposal aimed to extend beyond hospitality to other tipped positions such as salons, barber shops, and hotels through a tip-sharing provision. "It was important to note that both servers and restaurant owners opposed this devastating change that would harm a business’ bottom line and workers’ take-home pay." The defeat of Question 5 is seen as a strong indication that both servers and business owners favor maintaining current practices.
