You know that feeling when you're looking at a bright blue map of Massachusetts and you think, "Okay, I get it, we're a deep blue state"? Honestly, it's a bit of a lazy take. If you actually dig into the ma election results by town, the picture gets way more complicated—and a lot more interesting. It's not just a monolith of liberal cities.
There is a massive divide between the high-density hubs and the rural stretches that often goes unnoticed until you start clicking through the precinct-level data.
In the most recent 2024 presidential cycle, Kamala Harris carried the state with roughly 61.2% of the vote. But if you look at the town-by-town breakdown, you'll see a distinct shift. Donald Trump actually won a handful of municipalities, particularly in parts of Bristol, Plymouth, and Worcester counties.
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For instance, in Fall River, the margin was razor-thin, with Trump edging out a win at roughly 50% to 48.4%. That’s a far cry from the 87.8% Harris pulled in Cambridge.
Why Town-Level Data Changes Everything
When we talk about statewide averages, we lose the nuance of how individual communities are actually feeling. Some towns are shifting Republican faster than anyone expected, while others are becoming "progressive fortresses."
Take a look at the "Gateway Cities." These are mid-sized urban centers like New Bedford, Lowell, and Lawrence. Historically, these were Democratic strongholds. But lately? They're becoming battlegrounds. In New Bedford, Harris won, but the margin was only about 8 points (53.2% to 45%). Compare that to Boston, where she walloped Trump by 57 points.
The data shows a clear trend: the further you get from the I-495 belt, the more the "blue" starts to purple or even turn red. In Western Mass, you have this wild contrast. You’ve got Amherst and Northampton—basically the bluest places on earth—right next to tiny hill towns in the Berkshires or Hampden County that lean heavily conservative.
The Swing Towns You Should Watch
If you want to understand where Massachusetts is heading in 2026 and beyond, you have to look at the towns that barely budged.
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- Tewksbury: This town is a literal toss-up. In 2024, it went for Trump by a tiny 1% margin.
- Billerica: Another one where the split is almost exactly 50/50.
- Dracut: Trump took this town by about 7 points.
These aren't "red" towns in the way you'd see in rural Alabama. They are communities of unenrolled voters who switch sides depending on the candidate. In Massachusetts, "Unenrolled" is actually the largest voting bloc, making up about 60% of the electorate. That's why the ma election results by town fluctuate so much during midterms or gubernatorial races compared to presidential years.
How to Find Your Town's Specific Data
If you’re looking for the nitty-gritty details of how your neighbors voted, you shouldn't just rely on news snippets. The official source is the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s PD43+ database. It’s a bit of a clunky name, but it’s the gold standard for election stats.
You can search by:
- Year: Going back decades if you want to see the historical shift.
- Office: Everything from President down to Governor's Council.
- Geography: This is where you filter by city or town.
Basically, the PD43+ site lets you see exactly how many "blanks" were left on the ballot (people who showed up but refused to vote for a specific office) and how many write-in votes were cast. In the 2024 Senate race between Elizabeth Warren and John Deaton, these town-level details showed that Deaton performed significantly better in suburban towns than Trump did, proving that "ticket-splitting" is still very much alive in the Bay State.
The 2026 Outlook and Beyond
Looking toward the 2026 state elections, these town-level trends are basically a crystal ball. Keep an eye on the "South Shore" towns and the "North Shore" coastal communities.
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While the state is reliably blue at the federal level, the local "ma election results by town" show a persistent appetite for fiscal conservatism. It's why we frequently elect Republican governors like Charlie Baker or Mitt Romney despite being a Democratic stronghold.
If you see towns like Quincy or Weymouth start to lean more toward the GOP in local races, it’s a sign that the statewide Democratic party might be losing its grip on the middle-class suburban voter.
Actionable Steps for Voters and Researchers
- Visit the PD43+ Database: Don't just take a journalist's word for it. Go to electionstats.state.ma.us and pull the raw Excel files for your town.
- Compare 2020 vs 2024: Look at the "swing" in your specific community. Did the Republican margin grow? Did third-party candidates like Jill Stein or Chase Oliver take a bigger bite out of the total?
- Watch the Primaries: Often, the most important "election result" in a town happens during the September primary, especially in deep-blue districts where the general election is a foregone conclusion.
- Check Local Clerk Sites: For the most immediate (though unofficial) results on election night, your local town clerk's website is usually faster than the state database.
Understanding the political landscape of Massachusetts requires looking past the "Blue State" label. It’s a patchwork of 351 cities and towns, each with its own weird, specific political personality. Whether it’s the progressive enclave of Somerville or the conservative-leaning Westfield, the real story is always in the town-by-town data.
Next Steps for Deep Data Analysis:
To get a full picture of your town's political health, you should cross-reference these election results with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue’s Community Comparisons. This allows you to see if there is a correlation between property tax increases and shifts in voting patterns. Additionally, tracking the "voter turnout" percentage by town can tell you whether a candidate won because they were popular, or simply because the other side stayed home.