Massachusetts's 7th congressional district explained

State:Massachusetts
District Number:7
Image Caption:Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023
Representative:Ayanna Pressley
Party:Democratic
Residence:Boston
Population:754,113
Population Year:2022
Median Income:$81,795[1]
Percent White:38.7
Percent Hispanic:21.9
Percent Black:20.4
Percent Asian:11.7
Percent More Than One Race:5.4
Percent Other Race:2.0
Cpvi:D+35[2]

Massachusetts's 7th congressional district is a congressional district located in eastern Massachusetts, including roughly three-fourths of the city of Boston and a few of its northern and southern suburbs. The seat is currently held by Democrat Ayanna Pressley.

Due to redistricting after the 2010 census, the borders of the district were changed, with most of the old 7th district redistricted to the new 5th district,[3] and most of the old 8th district comprising the new 7th district. With a Cook Partisan Voting Index rating of D+35, it is the most Democratic district in Massachusetts, a state with an all-Democratic congressional delegation.[2]

According to The Boston Globe and the latest census data, approximately 33 percent of the population of the district were born outside of the United States, with approximately 34 percent of the population white, 26 percent African American, and 21 percent Latino.[4]

In 2019, Ayanna Pressley became the first female and person of color to represent the district as well as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in Congress.[5]

Election results from presidential races

YearOfficeResult
2000PresidentGore 64 - 29%
2004PresidentKerry 66 - 33%
2008PresidentObama 65 - 33%
2012PresidentObama 82.5 - 15.6%
2016PresidentClinton 84.1 - 11.9%
2020PresidentBiden 85 - 13%

Cities and towns in the district

(the remainder of Boston is in the 8th district)

(the remainder of Cambridge is in the 5th district)

(the remainder of Milton is in the 8th district)

Cities and towns in the district prior to 2013

1840s

1849: "The whole of Berkshire County; Ashfield, Buckland, Charlemont, Coleraine, Conway, Hawley, Heath, Leyden, Monroe, Rowe, and Shelburne, in Franklin County; Chesterfield, Cummington, Goshen, Middlefield, Norwich, Plainfield, Southampton, Westhampton, Williamsburg, and Worthington, in Hampshire County; and Blandford, Chester, Granville, Montgomery, Russell, and Tolland, in the County of Hampden."[6]

1850s–1880s

An act of the legislature passed April 22, 1852, divided the 7th district of Massachusetts as such: "The towns of Andover, Boxford, Bradford, Danvers, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lynnfield, Methuen, Middleton, Saugus, and Topsfield in the county of Essex; and the city of Charlestown, and the towns of Burlington, Lexington, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Reading, Somerville, South Reading, Stoneham, Waltham, and Woburn, in the county of Middlesex."[7]

1890s

1893: "Essex County: Towns of Lynn, Nahant, and Saugus. Middlesex County: Towns of Everett, Malden, Melrose, Stoneham, and Wakefield.Suffolk County: 4th and 5th wards of the city of Boston, and the towns of Chelsea and Revere."[8]

1910s

1916: In Essex County: Boxford, Lawrence, Lynn, Lynnfield, Middleton, Nahant, North Andover, Peabody, Saugus. In Middlesex County: North Reading.[9]

1940s

1941: In Essex County: Lawrence, Lynn (part), Middleton, Nahant, North Andover, Peabody. In Suffolk County: Chelsea, Revere, Winthrop.

2003-2013

In Middlesex County:

In Suffolk County:

List of members representing the district

MemberPartyYearsCong
ress
Electoral historyDistrict location
District created March 4, 1789
align=left
George Leonard
Pro-Administrationnowrap March 4, 1789 –
March 3, 1791
Elected in 1788.
Redistricted to the .
1789–1793
Bristol County, Dukes County, and Nantucket County
align=left
Artemas Ward
Pro-Administrationnowrap March 4, 1791 –
March 3, 1793
Elected in 1790.
Redistricted to the .
District inactivenowrap March 4, 1793 –
March 3, 1795
align=left
George Leonard
Federalistnowrap March 4, 1795 –
March 3, 1797
Elected in 1795 on the fourth ballot.
Retired.
1795–1803
"3rd Southern district"
align=left Stephen Bullock
Federalistnowrap March 4, 1797 –
March 3, 1799
Elected in 1797 on the third ballot.
Lost re-election.
align=left Phanuel Bishop
Democratic-Republicannowrap March 4, 1799 –
March 3, 1803
Elected in 1799 on the fourth ballot.
Re-elected in 1800.
Redistricted to the .
align=left
Nahum Mitchell
Federalistnowrap March 4, 1803 –
March 3, 1805
Elected in 1802.
Lost re-election.
1803–1815
"Plymouth district"
align=left Joseph Barker
Democratic-Republicannowrap March 4, 1805 –
March 3, 1809
Elected in 1804.
Re-elected in 1806.
Retired.
align=left William Baylies
Federalistnowrap March 4, 1809 –
June 28, 1809
Elected in 1808.
Lost election challenge.
align=left Charles Turner Jr.
Democratic-Republicannowrap June 28, 1809 –
March 3, 1813
Won election challenge.
Re-elected in 1810.
Lost re-election.
align=left William Baylies
Federalistnowrap March 4, 1813 –
March 3, 1815
Elected in 1812.
Redistricted to the .
align=left John W. Hulbert
Federalistnowrap March 4, 1815 –
March 3, 1817
Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1814.
Retired.
1815–1823
"Berkshire district"
align=left Henry Shaw
Democratic-Republicannowrap March 4, 1817 –
March 3, 1821
Elected in 1816.
Re-elected in 1819 on the second ballot.
Retired.
align=left
Henry W. Dwight
Federalistnowrap March 4, 1821 –
March 3, 1823
Elected in 1820.
Redistricted to the .
Samuel C. Allen
Federalistnowrap March 4, 1823 –
March 3, 1825
Redistricted from the .
Re-elected in 1825.
Re-elected in 1826.
1823–1833
"Franklin district"
Anti-Jacksoniannowrap March 4, 1825 –
March 3, 1829
align=left George Grennell Jr.
Anti-Jacksoniannowrap March 4, 1829 –
March 3, 1833
Elected in 1828.
Re-elected in 1830.
Redistricted to the .

George N. Briggs
Anti-Jacksoniannowrap March 4, 1833 –
March 3, 1837
Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1833.
Re-elected in 1834.
Re-elected in 1836.
Re-elected in 1838.
Re-elected in 1840.
Retired.
1833–1843
Whignowrap March 4, 1837 –
March 3, 1843
align=left
Julius Rockwell
Whignowrap March 4, 1843 –
March 3, 1851
Elected late on the sixth ballot in 1844.
Re-elected in 1846.
Re-elected in 1848.
1843–1853
align=left
John Z. Goodrich
Whignowrap March 4, 1851 –
March 3, 1853
Elected in 1851.
Redistricted to the .
nowrap rowspan=3 align=left
Nathaniel P. Banks
Democraticnowrap March 4, 1853 –
March 3, 1855
Elected in 1852.
Re-elected in 1854.
Re-elected in 1856.
Resigned to become Governor of Massachusetts.
1853–1863
Know Nothingnowrap March 4, 1855 –
March 3, 1857
Republicannowrap March 4, 1857 –
December 24, 1857
Vacantnowrap December 24, 1857 –
January 31, 1858
align=left
Daniel W. Gooch[10]
Republicannowrap January 31, 1858 –
March 3, 1863
Elected to finish Banks's term.
Re-elected in 1858.
Re-elected in 1860.
Redistricted to the .
align=left
George S. Boutwell
Republicannowrap March 4, 1863 –
March 12, 1869
Elected in 1862.
Re-elected in 1864.
Re-elected in 1866.
Re-elected in 1868.
Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of Treasury.
1863–1873
Vacantnowrap March 12, 1869 –
November 2, 1869
align=left
George M. Brooks
Republicannowrap November 2, 1869 –
May 13, 1872
Elected to finish Boutwell's term.
Re-elected in 1870.
Resigned.
Vacantnowrap May 13, 1872 –
December 2, 1872
align=left
Constantine C. Esty
Republicannowrap December 2, 1872 –
March 3, 1873
Elected to finish Brooks's term.
align=left
Ebenezer R. Hoar
Republicannowrap March 4, 1873 –
March 3, 1875
Elected in 1872.
1873–1883
align=left
John K. Tarbox
Democraticnowrap March 4, 1875 –
March 3, 1877
Elected in 1874.
align=left
Benjamin F. Butler[11]
Republicannowrap March 4, 1877 –
March 3, 1879
Elected in 1876.
align=left
William A. Russell[12]
Republicannowrap March 4, 1879 –
March 3, 1883
Elected in 1878.
Re-elected in 1880.
Redistricted to the .
align=left
Eben F. Stone
Republicannowrap March 4, 1883 –
March 3, 1887
Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1882.
Re-elected in 1884.
1883–1893
align=left
William Cogswell
Republicannowrap March 4, 1887 –
March 3, 1893
Elected in 1886.
Re-elected in 1888.
Re-elected in 1890.
Redistricted to the .
Vacantnowrap March 4, 1893 –
April 25, 1893
Member Henry Cabot Lodge had been redistricted from the and re-elected in 1892, but resigned to become a U.S. senator.1893–1903
align=left
William Everett
Democraticnowrap April 25, 1893 –
March 3, 1895
Elected to finish Cabot Lodge's term.
align=left
William Emerson Barrett[13]
Republicannowrap March 4, 1895 –
March 3, 1899
Elected in 1894.
Re-elected in 1896.

Ernest W. Roberts[14]
RepublicanMarch 4, 1899 –
March 3, 1913
Elected in 1898.
Re-elected in 1900.
Re-elected in 1902.
Re-elected in 1904.
Re-elected in 1906.
Re-elected in 1908.
Re-elected in 1910.
Redistricted to the .
1903–1913
align=left
Michael Francis Phelan
Democraticnowrap March 4, 1913 –
March 3, 1921
Elected in 1912.
Re-elected in 1914.
Re-elected in 1916.
Re-elected in 1918.
Lost re-election.
1913–1923
align=left
Robert S. Maloney
Republicannowrap March 4, 1921 –
March 3, 1923
Elected in 1920.
Lost re-election.

William P. Connery Jr.
DemocraticMarch 4, 1923 –
June 15, 1937
Elected in 1922.
Re-elected in 1924.
Re-elected in 1926.
Re-elected in 1928.
Re-elected in 1930.
Re-elected in 1932.
Re-elected in 1934.
Died.
1923–1933
1933–1943
Vacantnowrap June 16, 1937 –
September 27, 1937
align=left
Lawrence J. Connery[15]
Democraticnowrap September 28, 1937 –
October 19, 1941
Elected to finish his brother's term.
Re-elected in 1938.
Re-elected in 1940.
Died.
Vacantnowrap October 20, 1941 –
December 29, 1941

Thomas J. Lane
DemocraticDecember 30, 1941 –
January 3, 1963
Elected to finish Connery's term.
Re-elected in 1942.
Re-elected in 1944.
Re-elected in 1946.
Re-elected in 1948.
Re-elected in 1950.
Re-elected in 1952.
Re-elected in 1954.
Re-elected in 1956.
Re-elected in 1958.
Re-elected in 1960.
Redistricted to the and lost re-election.
1943–1953
1953–1963

Torbert H. Macdonald[16]
DemocraticJanuary 3, 1963 –
May 21, 1976
Redistricted from the .
Re-elected in 1964.
Re-elected in 1966.
Re-elected in 1968.
Re-elected in 1970.
Re-elected in 1972.
Re-elected in 1974.
Died.
1963–1973
1973–1983
Vacantnowrap May 22, 1976 –
November 1, 1976

Ed Markey[17]
DemocraticNovember 2, 1976 –
January 3, 2013
Elected to finish Macdonald's term.
Simultaneously elected to a full term in 1976.
Re-elected in 1978.
Re-elected in 1980.
Re-elected in 1982.
Re-elected in 1984.
Re-elected in 1986.
Re-elected in 1988.
Re-elected in 1990.
Re-elected in 1992.
Re-elected in 1994.
Re-elected in 1996.
Re-elected in 1998.
Re-elected in 2000.
Re-elected in 2002.
Re-elected in 2004.
Re-elected in 2006.
Re-elected in 2008.
Re-elected in 2010.
Redistricted to the .
1983–1993
1993–2003
2003–2013
align=left
Michael Capuano
Democraticnowrap January 3, 2013 –
January 3, 2019
Redistricted from the .
Re-elected in 2014.
Re-elected in 2016.
Lost renomination.
2013–2023

Ayanna Pressley
DemocraticJanuary 3, 2019 –
present
Elected in 2018.
Re-elected in 2020.
Re-elected in 2022.
2023–present

Recent election results

2022

References

General sources

External links

Election results

Notes and References

  1. Web site: My Congressional District.
  2. Web site: 2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List. 2023-01-10. Cook Political Report. July 12, 2022 . en.
  3. http://www.sec.state.ma.us/spr/sprcat/catpdf2010/cong2010/CongressionalDistrict_2011State.pdf Access date: March 21, 2012.
  4. News: Krantz . Laura . Ayanna Pressley wants to get back to the issues, although ignoring the president isn't easy . . 2019-07-17 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20190718044247/https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2019/07/17/ignoring-president-isn-easy-but-ayanna-pressley-wants-get-back-issues/0jpavQJxtFZpr2N0cmchKO/story.html . 2019-07-18 . 2019-07-18 .
  5. Web site: Hess. Abigail Johnson. 2018-11-06. Meet Ayanna Pressley, who is on track to become Massachusetts' first black Congresswoman. 2021-01-14. CNBC. en.
  6. Book: Gazetteer of Massachusetts . John Hayward . Boston . J.P. Jewett & Co. . 1849 . Congressional Districts . 2027/mdp.39015078325076?urlappend=%3Bseq=436 . http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015078325076?urlappend=%3Bseq=436 .
  7. Book: Massachusetts Register . 1862 . 1st . Boston, MA . Sampson Adams & Co. . Congressional Districts.
  8. Book: Francis M. Cox . Official Congressional Directory: Fifty-Third Congress . 1893 . 2nd . Washington DC . Government Printing Office . Massachusetts . 2027/mdp.39015022758133?urlappend=%3Bseq=60 . http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015022758133?urlappend=%3Bseq=60 .
  9. Book: Official Congressional Directory: 64th Congress . 1916 . 2nd . Washington DC . Government Printing Office . Massachusetts . 1991/1992- : S. Pub. . 2027/uc1.l0075858456?urlappend=%3Bseq=62 . http://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.l0075858456?urlappend=%3Bseq=62 .
  10. Book: Congressional Directory for the Second Session of the Thirty-Seventh Congress . 1861 . Washington DC . House of Representatives . Massachusetts . https://archive.org/stream/congressionaldirunit#page/10/mode/1up .
  11. Book: Congressional Directory: 45th Congress . 1878 . 3rd . Ben. Perley Poore . Washington DC . Government Printing Office . Massachusetts . 9780160411762 . https://archive.org/stream/officialcongres02conggoog#page/n40/mode/2up .
  12. Book: Congressional Directory: 47th Congress . 1882 . 3rd . Ben. Perley Poore . Washington DC . Government Printing Office . Massachusetts . https://archive.org/stream/officialcongres07pringoog#page/n46/mode/2up .
  13. Book: L.A. Coolidge . Official Congressional Directory: Fifty-Fifth Congress . 1897 . Washington DC . Government Printing Office . Massachusetts . https://archive.org/stream/officialcongres08pringoog#page/n74/mode/2up .
  14. Book: Congressional Directory: 60th Congress . 1909 . 2nd . A.J. Halford . Washington DC . Government Printing Office . Massachusetts . https://archive.org/stream/officialcongres03hgoog#page/n94/mode/2up .
  15. Book: Official Congressional Directory: 75th Congress . 1938 . 2nd . Washington DC . Government Printing Office . Massachusetts . https://archive.org/stream/officialcongres00unit#page/46/mode/2up .
  16. Book: Official Congressional Directory: 90th Congress . 1968 . Washington DC . Government Printing Office . Massachusetts . https://archive.org/stream/officialcongress00wash#page/74/mode/2up .
  17. Book: 1991-1992 Official Congressional Directory: 102nd Congress . 1991 . Washington DC . Government Printing Office . Massachusetts . https://archive.org/stream/19911992official014340mbp#page/n171/mode/2up .