Just under 419,000 registered voters enrolled as Republicans, out of more than five million registered voters, for 8.29% of the electorate. There is a local variation, from 10.68% in Plymouth County (Cape Cod) down to 4.33 % inSuffolk County (Boston)
Massachusetts has a September primary for all candidates other than President. The Republicans had three candidates in the Primary for the one U.S. Senate seat. Further down the ballot, the Republicans had one candidate each in 3 of 9 Congressional seats, 3 of 8 Governor’s Council seats, 10 of the 40 State Senate Seats, about 40 of the 160 seats in the State House of Representatives, and no candidate for any of the other seats..
By way of comparison, Massachusetts Libertarians had no candidates on the September primary ballot for any office. There were 16,137 enrolled Libertarians in the state, or 0.32% of the electorate, with totals ranging from 0.25% in Dukes County to 0.41% in Bristol County. Four years ago, at the same time in the cycle, there were 18,803 enrolled Libertarians in Massachusetts.
It is interesting to note that there was a heated contest this Spring for control of the Massachusetts Republican State Committee. By entirely authoritative estimate, close to a million dollars was spent on this contest to elect 40 State Committeemen and 40 State Committeewomen.
I’m unable to respond directly in the thread, but I looked it up to refresh my memory and the last GOP MASS GUV was Charles Baker who served from 2015 to 2023. While there are matters for which 2023 was quite a while ago – lifetimes of flies, mail delivery, et. C – governorship of a US state or commonwealth isn’t one. Senator Scott Brown served in 2010-13, which is more reasonably quite a while ago in those terms.
Democrats aren’t a third party in any state either, yet, although there are certainly states where they are a far distant second and tumbling towards perhaps becoming a third party in the future if present trends continue, as is the case with the Mass GOP. Given the sum total of factors considered earlier in discussion, I don’t see how you can objectively say they are already there.
You’re right. My memory inverted the terms of Baker and his predecessor, Deval Patrick.
How do you define third party? I think the usual definition is smaller than second. 8.29 is well behind 26.27,but closer to it than to 0.32 in terms of x/y. Unless you count Unenrolled as a party, which I wouldn’t,your headline is erroneous.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but 8.29% of a state’s registrations is still well ahead of any minor party in any state. I think their number of overall candidates, number of officeholders and level of officeholders are above minor party levels for any state .
Consider: Not contesting enough seats in the state legislature, either house, to sustainan Governor’s veto. That’s not “holding”, it’s not even contesting.
I suspect there are other states with unnoticed third parties. Wyoming and Montana come to mind.
I still don’t see that as a third party. A distant second, sure. But isn’t the Mass guv at least nominally a Republican? If not, it wasn’t long ago. Senator Scott Brown wasn’t that long ago either, for that matter. Please name the party besides D and R that has over 8% of voter registrations in a state, elects Governors and U.S. Senators in this century, runs 50 candidates for one states legislature in one year, or has around a million current rate federal reserve notes spent on its state committee election.
Incidentally, Republicans were a much more minor party in Georgia and nearby states when I was a kid, an ad especially when my parents were kids, than currently in any state, including Mass. They grew rather quickly – there were zero Republicans in my extended family in my grandparents time, and few people who don’t at least primarily vote Republican (or would if they voted) among known relatives now. On the other hand, back then most of our black neighbors would have voted Republican had they been allowed to vote, but relatively few do now – although, many are starting to at the very least take the idea seriously, unlike in the more recent past.
The last Republican Governor and Senator from Massachusetts were a while ago. They got in because they ran an incredibly bad candidate, and when she lost the first time, they ran her again.
MA voter registration as of 8/24/2024
Democrat – 1,327,704 – 26.27%
Republican – 418,899 – 8.29%
Libertarian – 16,137 – 0.32%
Other – 35,045 – 0.69%
Unenrolled – 3,256,754 – 64.43%
Source: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/elections/download/research-and-statistics/enrolment_count_20240903.pdf
Note that Massachusetts has open primaries for the unenrolled voters. Affiliating with a party means foregoing the ability to choose any party’s primary ballot.
Thank you for the full count. The Democrats, however, contest almost every seat. Indeed, against that list of offices, the Democrats did not contest two State Senate seats and 17 State House seats.
I am curious about one thing. And I know… I could probably go find it on the Internet, but what percentage of registered voters are registered as Democrat or other parties. What percentage have no party affiliation?
From what you have written, it looks like your state is a huge capital D.
Massachusetts Libertarians have three groups. The United Libertarians have apparently raised no money this year. The Libertarian Association of Massachusetts has raised $8,085 this year for its Federal account, has $1678 in its state account, and is doing no state fundraising. The Libertarian Party of Massachusetts seems to have no Federal account and seems to be raising no money.
Technically, the filing name of the last group is the Massachusetts Libertarian State Committee. There could be separate Libertarian town, ward and city committees, but I know of none that have been organized.