Election
It’s critical that in 2026 we elect State officials that support life-saving safe infrastructure.
2026 State Elections
The Massachusetts state primary is Tuesday, September 1, 2026. Because no Republicans or third-party candidates have filed in any of the state legislative races covering Cambridge, the primary will decide who represents Cambridge for the next two years.
We’ll be sharing the results of our candidate questionnaire as soon as we can. Meanwhile, sign up for our mailing list and follow us on social media (links in the header) to stay up to date.
Key Dates
State Primary: Tuesday, September 1, 2026
- August 22 — Voter registration deadline (register or update your registration here)
- August 22–28 — Early in-person voting period
- August 25, 5 p.m. — Deadline to apply for a vote-by-mail ballot (apply here)
- September 1 — Primary Election Day, polls open 7 a.m.–8 p.m. (find your polling place)
State General Election: Tuesday, November 3, 2026
- October 17–30 — Early in-person voting period
- October 24 — Voter registration deadline (register or update your registration here)
- October 27, 5 p.m. — Deadline to apply for a vote-by-mail ballot (apply here)
- November 3 — General Election Day, polls open 7 a.m.–8 p.m. (find your polling place)
Ballots can be returned by mail or dropped at one of the City’s official drop boxes — see the list of drop box locations here. Not sure which districts you’re in? Look it up by address at WhereDoIVoteMA.com.
Contested primaries
For a more detailed overview of all the candidates, Cambridge Day published a detailed roundup of the contested races.
State Senate — 2nd Middlesex District (open seat)
Covers: parts of North Cambridge, plus all of Somerville and Medford and parts of Winchester
Sen. Patricia Jehlen is retiring after 20 years, drawing a five-way race:
- Burhan Azeem — Cambridge Vice Mayor
- Christine Barber — State Representative, 34th Middlesex
- Erika Uyterhoeven — State Representative, 27th Middlesex
- Matt McLaughlin — Somerville City Councilor
- Tom Hopcroft — Winchester School Committee member
More on the race: Ballotpedia
State Senate — Suffolk and Middlesex District
Covers: parts of West Cambridge, plus all of Belmont and Watertown and parts of Boston
- Daniel Lander — aide to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu
- William Brownsberger — incumbent, elected in 2012
More on the race: Ballotpedia
State House — 24th Middlesex District
Covers: a small part of North Cambridge, plus all of Belmont and parts of Arlington
- David Rogers — incumbent, elected in 2012
- Nomita Ganguly — attorney with a legislative advocacy background
More on the race: Ballotpedia
State House — 25th Middlesex District
Covers: Harvard Square and surrounding neighborhoods, including Porter Square and Central Square (entirely within Cambridge).
This is a rematch of the 2024 primary, which Decker won by 41 votes.
- Evan MacKay — union organizer and Harvard teaching fellow
- Marjorie Decker — incumbent, elected in 2012
More on the race: Ballotpedia
State House — 26th Middlesex District
Covers: Parts of East Cambridge, Mid-Cambridge, and Cambridgeport, plus part of Somerville
- Mike Connolly — incumbent, elected in 2016
- Neil Miller — Harvard Kennedy School student, former federal data scientist, and housing advocate
More on the race: Ballotpedia
Uncontested seats covering Cambridge
These incumbents face no primary or general election challenger
- State Senate — Middlesex and Suffolk District: Most of Cambridge east of Harvard Square, plus Everett, Chelsea, and Charlestown. Sen. Sal DiDomenico (Ballotpedia)
- State House — 29th Middlesex District: Parts of West Cambridge, plus part of Watertown. Rep. Steven Owens (Ballotpedia)
- State House — 2nd Suffolk District: Parts of East Cambridge, plus parts of Boston and Everett. Rep. Daniel Ryan (Ballotpedia)
- State House — 18th Suffolk District: A small part of Cambridgeport near MIT, plus parts of Boston. Rep. Michael Moran (Ballotpedia)