Senator in General Court
September 1, 2026 · Fifth Middlesex 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 · 15 out of 100
This district is large for its type, so each vote is a smaller slice of the outcome. About 184,747 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(188,565 ÷ 184,747) ÷ ln(188,565 ÷ 165,004) = 15.33, 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
Carey McDonald
Democratic · declared
Carey McDonald is a Democratic candidate for Massachusetts' open Fifth Middlesex Senate District in 2026. McDonald has served as a Malden city councillor at large since 2022, has chaired the council's Finance Committee for four years, and is currently listed as president pro tempore. McDonald's professional background includes nonprofit executive leadership and public-policy work.
Kate Lipper-Garabedian
Democratic · declared
Kate Lipper-Garabedian is a Democratic candidate for Massachusetts' open Fifth Middlesex Senate District in 2026. She has represented the 32nd Middlesex District in the House since 2020 and previously served as a Melrose city councillor at large. Her earlier career includes public-school teaching, judicial clerking, education consulting, and work as chief legal counsel at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Education.
Ryan J. O'Malley
Democratic · declared
Ryan J. O'Malley is a Democratic candidate for Massachusetts' open Fifth Middlesex Senate District in 2026. He has represented Ward 4 on the Malden City Council since 2016 and served as council president during part of 2025. A Malden High School and College of the Holy Cross graduate, he previously worked in corporate change management.
Election sources
Source: sec.state.ma.us
Source: sec.state.ma.us
Source: sec.state.ma.us