Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district

Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district
Current Representative		Richard Neal (D–Springfield)
Area	921.64 mi²
Distribution	84.79% urban, 15.21% rural
Population (2000)	634,444
Median income	$44,386
Ethnicity	82.5% White, 5.9% Black, 1.3% Asian, 9.2% Hispanic, 0.2% Native American, 0.9% other
Occupation	24.0% blue collar, 60.6% white collar, 15.3% gray collar
Cook PVI	D+9

Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district is in south central Massachusetts. It contains Springfield, the chief city of Western Massachusetts, as well as some of the southern suburbs of Worcester. It is currently represented by Richard Neal, who has served the district since January 1989.

Previous locations

Known as the 2nd Western District from 1795 to 1803, the "Essex North" district from 1803 to 1813 and the "Essex South" district from 1813 to 1833.

Cities and towns in the district

The district contains the following municipalities:

In Hampden County:

Agawam, Brimfield, Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Hampden, Holland, Longmeadow, Ludlow, Monson, Palmer, Springfield, Wales, Wilbraham.

In Hampshire County:

Hadley, Northampton, South Hadley.

In Norfolk County:

Bellingham.

In Worcester County:

Blackstone, Brookfield, Charlton, Douglas, Dudley, East Brookfield, Grafton, Hopedale, Leicester, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Millville, North Brookfield, Northbridge, Oxford, Southbridge, Spencer, Sturbridge, Sutton, Upton, Uxbridge, Warren, Webster.

List of representatives

Representative	Party	Years	Electoral history
Benjamin Goodhue	Pro- Administration	March 4, 1789 – March 4, 1793	Redistricted to 1st district
Dwight Foster	Pro- Administration	General ticket: March 4, 1793 – March 4, 1795	Redistricted to 4th district
William Lyman	Anti- Administration		[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Theodore Sedgwick	Pro- Administration		Redistricted from 4th district Redistricted to 1st district
Artemas Ward	Pro- Administration		Redistricted from 7th district
William Lyman	Democratic- Republican	March 4, 1795 – March 4, 1797	[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
William Shepard	Federalist	March 4, 1797 – March 4, 1803	[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Jacob Crowninshield	Democratic- Republican	March 4, 1803 – April 15, 1808	Died
Vacant		April 15, 1808 – May 24, 1808
Joseph Story	Democratic- Republican	May 23, 1808 – March 4, 1809	Elected to finish Crowninshield's term [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Benjamin Pickman, Jr.	Federalist	March 4, 1809 – March 4, 1811	Retired
William Reed	Federalist	March 4, 1811 – March 4, 1815	[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Timothy Pickering	Federalist	March 4, 1815 – March 4, 1817	Redistricted from 3rd district
Nathaniel Silsbee	Democratic- Republican	March 4, 1817 – March 4, 1821	[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Gideon Barstow	Democratic- Republican	March 4, 1821 – March 4, 1823	[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Benjamin W. Crowninshield	Adams-Clay Republican	March 4, 1823 – March 4, 1825	[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
	Adams	March 4, 1825 – March 4, 1829
	Anti- Jacksonian	March 4, 1829 – March 4, 1831
Rufus Choate	Anti- Jacksonian	March 4, 1831 – June 30, 1834	Resigned
Vacant		June 30, 1834 – December 1, 1834
Stephen C. Phillips	Anti- Jacksonian	December 1, 1834 – March 3, 1837	Elected to finish Choate's term Resigned to become Mayor of Salem
	Whig	March 4, 1837 – September 28, 1838
Leverett Saltonstall	Whig	December 5, 1838 – March 4, 1843	[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Daniel P. King	Whig	March 4, 1843 – July 25, 1850	Died
Vacant		July 25, 1850 – March 4, 1851
Robert Rantoul, Jr.	Democratic	March 4, 1851 – August 7, 1852	Died
Vacant		August 7, 1852 – December 13, 1852
Francis B. Fay	Whig	December 13, 1852 – March 4, 1853	Elected to finish Rantoul's term [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Samuel L. Crocker	Whig	March 4, 1853 – March 4, 1855	[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
James Buffinton	American	March 4, 1855 – March 4, 1857	[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
	Republican	March 4, 1857 – March 4, 1863
Oakes Ames	Republican	March 4, 1863 – March 4, 1873	[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Benjamin W. Harris	Republican	March 4, 1873 – March 4, 1883	[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
John D. Long	Republican	March 4, 1883 – March 4, 1889	[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Elijah A. Morse	Republican	March 4, 1889 – March 4, 1893	Redistricted to 12th district
Frederick H. Gillett	Republican	March 4, 1893 – March 4, 1925	Died
George B. Churchill	Republican	March 4, 1925 – July 1, 1925	Died
Vacant		July 1, 1925 – September 29, 1925
Henry L. Bowles	Republican	September 29, 1925 – March 4, 1929	Elected to finish Bowles's term Retired
Will Kirk Kaynor	Republican	March 4, 1929 – December 20, 1929	Died
Vacant		December 20, 1929 – February 11, 1930
William J. Granfield	Democratic	February 11, 1930 – January 3, 1937	Elected to finish Kaynor's term Retired
Charles R. Clason	Republican	January 3, 1937 – January 3, 1949	Lost re-election
Foster Furcolo	Democratic	January 3, 1949 – September 30, 1952	Resigned when appointed State Treasurer
Vacant		September 30, 1952 – January 3, 1953
Edward Boland	Democratic	January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1989	Retired
Richard Neal	Democratic	January 3, 1989 – Present	Elected in 1988
Representative	Party	Years	Electoral history

Recent election results

U.S. House election, 1988: Massachusetts, District 2
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Richard Neal	156,262	80.23
	Communist	Louis R. Godena	38,446	19.74
	Write-in		52	0.01
Majority			117,816	60.40
Turnout
	Democratic hold		Swing

U.S. House election, 1990: Massachusetts, District 2
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Richard Neal	134,152	67.99	-12.24
	Write-in		63,169	32.01	+32.00
Majority			70,983	35.98	-24.42
Turnout			197,321
	Democratic hold		Swing

U.S. House election, 1992: Massachusetts, District 2
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Richard Neal	131,215	53.09	-14.90
	Republican	Anthony W. Ravosa, Jr.	76,795	31.07	+31.07
	Independent	Thomas R. Sheehan	38,963	15.76	+15.76
	Write-in		190	0.07	-31.94
Majority			54,420	22.02	-13.96
Turnout			247,163
	Democratic hold		Swing

U.S. House election, 1994: Massachusetts, District 2
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Richard Neal	117,178	58.55	+5.46
	Republican	John M. Briare	72,732	36.34	+5.27
	Natural Law	Kate Ross	10,167	5.08	+5.08
	Write-in		46	0.02	-0.05
Majority			44,446	22.21	+0.19
Turnout			200,123
	Democratic hold		Swing

U.S. House election, 1996: Massachusetts, District 2
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Richard Neal	162,995	71.67	+13.12
	Republican	Mark Steele	49,885	21.94	-14.40
	Independent	Scott Andrichak	9,181	4.04	+4.04
	Natural Law	Richard Kaynor	5,124	2.25	-2.83
	Write-in		226	0.10	+0.08
Majority			113,110	49.74	+27.53
Turnout			227,411
	Democratic hold		Swing

U.S. House election, 1998: Massachusetts, District 2
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Richard Neal	130,550	98.95	+27.28
	Write-in		1,383	1.05	+0.95
Majority			129,167	97.90	+48.16
Turnout			131,933
	Democratic hold		Swing

U.S. House election, 2000: Massachusetts, District 2
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Richard Neal	196,670	98.91	-0.04
	Write-in		2,176	1.09	+0.04
Majority			194,494	97.81	-0.09
Turnout			253,867
	Democratic hold		Swing

U.S. House election, 2002: Massachusetts, District 2
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Richard Neal	153,387	99.13	+0.22
	Write-in		1,341	0.87	-0.22
Majority			152,046	98.26	+0.45
Turnout			208,498
	Democratic hold		Swing

U.S. House election, 2004: Massachusetts, District 2
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Richard Neal	217,682	98.96	-0.17
	Write-in		2,282	1.04	+0.17
Majority			227,183	97.92	-0.34
Turnout			287,871
	Democratic hold		Swing

U.S. House election, 2006: Massachusetts, District 2
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Richard Neal	164,939	98.65	-0.31
	Write-in		2,254	1.35	+0.31
Majority			162,685	97.30	-0.62
Turnout			214,939
	Democratic hold		Swing

U.S. House election, 2008: Massachusetts, District 2
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Richard Neal	234,369	98.47	-0.18
	Write-in		3,631	1.53	+0.18
Majority			230,738	96.95	-0.35
Turnout			306,820
	Democratic hold		Swing

U.S. House election, 2010: Massachusetts, District 2
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Richard Neal	122,751	57.33	-41.14
	Republican	Thomas A. Wesley	91,209	42.60	+42.60
	Write-in		164	0.08	-1.45
Majority			31,542	14.73	-82.12
Turnout			220,424
	Democratic hold		Swing

References

• Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. 
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. 
• Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present

External links

• CNN.com 2004 election results
• CNN.com 2006 election results
• Map of Massachusetts's 2nd Congressional District, via Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth