The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Massachusetts were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, to elect the nine U.S. representatives from the state of Massachusetts, a loss of one seat following the 2010 census, for service in the 113th Congress from January 3, 2013, to January 3, 2015. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial presidential election. The candidate elected in each of the state's congressional districts was a member the Democratic Party.
Primary elections were held on September 6, 2012. This primary was on a Thursday, which is rare in Massachusetts, and it was moved from Tuesday, September 18, 2012, because of a conflicting religious holiday.
Overview
District 1
Democrat Richard Neal, who has represented the 2nd district since 1989, was redistricted into the 1st district. He ran for re-election.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
Eliminated in primary
Primary results
General election
Predictions
Results
District 2
Since 1991, Democrat John Olver, has represented the 1st district, most of which remains in the proposed new 1st district. He was to have been redistricted to the 2nd district, except that he announced his retirement two weeks before the new districts were proposed.
Democrat Jim McGovern, who was redistricted from the 3rd district, ran for re-election.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
Eliminated in primary
Declined
Primary results
Republican primary
Declined
General election
Predictions
Results
District 3
Democrat Niki Tsongas, who was redistricted from the 5th district, ran for re-election. She was unopposed in the primary.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
Primary results
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Jon Golnik, business consultant and nominee for the 5th district in 2010
Eliminated in primary
- Tom Weaver, businessman and candidate for the 5th district in 2010
Primary results
General election
Polling
Predictions
Results
District 4
Democrat Barney Frank, who has represented the 4th district since 1981, retired rather than run for re-election.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
Eliminated in primary
Withdrawn
Declined
- Ruth Balser, state representative
- Michael Burstein, author and member of the Brookline Town Meeting
- Cynthia Creem, state senator
- William A. Flanagan, Mayor of Fall River
- Barney Frank, incumbent U.S. Representative
- Deborah Goldberg, former chair of the Brookline Board of Selectmen
- Alan Khazei, co-founder of the City Year non-profit
- Jesse Mermell, Brookline Selectwoman
- Marc Pacheco, state senator
- Michael P. Ross, Boston City Councilor
- James Segel, former state representative
- David Simas, former policy adviser to Governor Deval Patrick
- Sam Sutter, Bristol County district attorney
- James E. Timilty, state senator
- Setti Warren, mayor of Newton
- Mike Rodrigues, state senator
- James Vallee, state representative
Primary results
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Sean Bielat, technology executive and nominee for this seat in 2010
Eliminated in primary
- Elizabeth Childs, psychiatrist and member of the Brookline School Committee
- David Steinhof, dentist
Declined
Primary results
General election
Endorsements
Polling
Predictions
Results
District 5
Democrat Ed Markey was redistricted from the 7th district, having represented it since 1976.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
Primary results
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Tom Tierney, consulting actuary
Eliminated in primary
- Frank John Addivinola Jr., attorney
- Jeff Semon, financial consultant
Withdrawn
- Gerry Dembrowski, physician and nominee for the 7th district in 2010
Primary results
General election
Predictions
Results
District 6
Democrat John F. Tierney has represented the 6th district since 1997. Daniel Fishman, a Libertarian candidate, who has never run for office before also ran. Veteran and military commentator Seth Moulton considered running in the general election as an independent, but decided against it in July 2012, citing the short time frame left for him to mount a serious campaign.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
Primary results
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
Withdrawn
- Bill Hudak, Tea Party-endorsed lawyer and candidate for this seat in 2010 but withdrew on January 23, 2012, to pursue "a business opportunity".
Primary results
General election
Endorsements
Debates
Polling
Predictions
Results
District 7
In the redistricting Act, this district became a majority-minority district, increasing its reach over several minority precincts near Boston. Democrat Mike Capuano, who was redistricted from the 8th district, having represented it since 1999, ran for re-election.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
Primary results
Independents
- Karla Romero, founding President and CEO of the non-profit Mass Appeal International and a former Miss USA contestant
General election
Predictions
Results
District 8
Democrat Stephen Lynch, who was redistricted from the old 9th district, will run in the 8th district.
Democrat William R. Keating, who was redistricted from the old , announced that he would move to Cape Cod (where he already has a summer home), and run there, putting him in the new 9th district (most of which includes his incumbent district) instead of competing against Lynch.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
Declined
Primary results
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Joe Selvaggi, US Navy veteran of the first Gulf War and small business owner
Eliminated in primary
- Matias Temperley, Iraq War veteran and student
Primary results
General election
Predictions
Results
District 9
There was no incumbent currently residing in this district, but incumbent Democrat William R. Keating, who has represented most of the district for the last two years when it was the , has a summer home there. As discussed above, he moved to the 9th District. Bristol County
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- William R. Keating, incumbent
Eliminated in primary
Declined
Primary results
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Christopher Sheldon, businessman
Eliminated in primary
- Adam Chaprales, former Sandwich Selectman
Declined
General election
Predictions
Results
See also
References
External links