District: Norfolk & Suffolk District

District: Norfolk & Suffolk District 

From July 20 through July 23, American Future conducted research to assess opinions on issues of importance from likely voters in the Norfolk & Suffolk Senate District Democratic Primary election on September 1, 2026. Below is a summary of the most important findings of that research.

Research Findings – Positive Messages

Research shows that voters in the Norfolk & Suffolk Senate District respond favorably to the following messages or candidate descriptions.

  1. A Democrat whose top priority is Massachusetts and will focus on state issues and work to address local concerns and problems
  2. A Democrat who is supported by local labor unions, Mayor Michelle Wu and Governor Maura Healey.
  3. A candidate who believes everyone should have access to quality healthcare that is affordable and no one should have to choose between seeing a doctor or paying their bills. One who has voted to increase healthcare funding to offset Trump cuts to Medicaid, fighting insurance companies that deny care and unfairly raise premiums and standing up to the drug company executives that make billions by raising prices for medicine.
  4. A candidate focused on bringing down prices and making life more affordable. One who helped to pass a $5 billion housing affordability package to build new homes, speed up home construction and bring down rents.  A candidate who voted for a law to bring down the cost of energy by cracking down on utilities and increasing investments in renewable energy resources. One who is focused on providing property tax relief for residents, especially seniors living on fixed incomes.
  5. A candidate committed to making sure our veterans and military families are treated with the respect they deserve and earned. One who wrote and passed laws to increase benefits for Massachusetts’ disabled veterans and Gold Star families, expand tax breaks for small businesses that hire veterans and crack down on employers who discriminate against veterans.

Research Findings – Vulnerabilities:

Research shows that voters in the Norfolk & Suffolk Senate District respond unfavorably to the following messages or candidate descriptions.

  1. A candidate who opposes cutting the state income tax for middle class and working families. A candidate that supports enacting a series of new taxes to fund a massive expansion of state government that will drive up the cost of living that will hurt families, seniors and small businesses and result in more companies leaving the state.
  2. A candidate supported by money from outside of our district, with a majority of large contributions coming from people who do not live in Massachusetts. One whose top donors include big firm lawyers, supporting a candidate who will protect their interests.
  3. A candidate whose views on crime are too extreme and would threaten public safety.  One who supports eliminating life sentences for murderers and their accomplices and other violent criminals. A candidate who wants to reduce drug-related penalties—making it easier for the traffickers and other criminals who have destroyed lives with fentanyl to walk free.

Research Findings – Citations:

 

CITE: Some candidates are opposed to cutting the state income tax from 5 percent to 4 percent, even though cutting the tax would lower taxes for low- and middle-income families. (YouTube, 03/08/26, 00:21:06)

CITE: Some candidates support enacting a series of new taxes to fund a massive expansion of state government. (Progressive Mass 2026 Legislative Endorsement Questionnaire, 2026)

CITE: Some candidates are supported by money from outside of the district, with a majority of large contributions coming from people who do not live in Massachusetts. (Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance, accessed 07/02/26)

CITE: Some candidates support eliminating mandatory minimums for drug offenses and eliminating the sentence of life without parole. Eliminating life sentences without parole would reduce sentences for the most violent criminals. (Progressive Mass 2026 Legislative Endorsement Questionnaire, 2026)