Senator in General Court
September 1, 2026 · Second Essex and 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 · 22 out of 100
This district is large for its type, so each vote is a smaller slice of the outcome. About 183,054 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(188,565 ÷ 183,054) ÷ ln(188,565 ÷ 165,004) = 22.22, 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
Barry R. Finegold
Democratic · Incumbent · declared
Barry R. Finegold is the incumbent Democratic Massachusetts state senator for the Second Essex and Middlesex District. He previously served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and is an attorney and law-firm partner.
Records: Anti-Corruption 1 for, Civil Rights 1 for, Data Privacy 2 for, Public Education Quality 1 for
Theodore T. Semesnyei
Republican · declared
Theodore T. Semesnyei is the Republican candidate for Massachusetts Senate's Second Essex and Middlesex District. He is an Amesbury economist and local activist campaigning on government transparency, cost of living, and increased local aid.
Election sources
Source: sec.state.ma.us
Source: sec.state.ma.us