Senator in General Court
September 1, 2026 · First Suffolk District; Massachusetts · State senate district · primary
How do we calculate vote impact?
Vote impact = representation (how much weight one vote carries here, the smaller the district's population, the higher the representation) + decisiveness (how likely this race is to be close, based on past results and number of candidates).
Representation: Low · 14 out of 100
This district is large for its type, so each vote is a smaller slice of the outcome. About 184,982 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(188,565 ÷ 184,982) ÷ ln(188,565 ÷ 165,004) = 14.37, comparing state senate districts in MA (grades: 66+ high, 33+ average, otherwise low)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No past results for this contest yet.
Low representation + unknown decisiveness → Below average vote impact.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information and capped at "High".
State Senator is responsible for:
- Voting on state laws and the state budget
- Representing their district in the state senate
- Confirming certain governor appointments in many states
- Helping district residents deal with state agencies
Affected Areas: Environment and Public Health, Reduce Wealth Gap, Anti-Corruption, Government Efficiency, Healthcare Affordability, Government Spending Reduction, Public Safety and Crime Control, Housing Affordability, Social Programs and Welfare, Public Education Quality, Gun Control, Women's Reproductive Rights, Election Integrity, Personal Income Tax Reduction, Data Privacy, Civil Rights, Corporate Accountability, Public Infrastructure
Candidates
Juwan Khiry Skeens
Democratic · declared
Juwan Khiry Skeens is a Democratic candidate for Massachusetts' First Suffolk Senate District in 2026. He is executive director of BBIRTH Inc., a Boston nonprofit, and previously worked as a Boston City Council neighborhood liaison, city youth worker, and community organizer. He also ran for this Senate seat in 2024 and for Boston City Council in 2025.
Latoya Sherria Gayle
Democratic · declared
Latoya Sherria Gayle is a Democratic candidate for Massachusetts' First Suffolk Senate District in 2026. She is Senior Director of Advocacy and Family Partnerships at Neighborhood Villages and previously founded and led Boston School Finder. She has also co-founded family-advocacy initiatives and worked on education, childcare, and community engagement.
Nicholas P. Collins
Democratic · Incumbent · declared
Nicholas P. Collins is the Democratic state senator for Massachusetts' First Suffolk District and is seeking reelection in 2026. He entered the Senate in 2018 after serving in the Massachusetts House beginning in 2011. A Boston Latin School and Babson College graduate, he previously worked as an organizer for Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign.
Election sources
Source: sec.state.ma.us
Source: sec.state.ma.us