While there is no question that Massachusetts is considered one of the bluest states in the nation, voter registrations in Western Massachusetts over the last 20 years indicate that both major parties are losing voters while the number of independent or unenrolled voters continues to increase.
And Westfield State University Political Science Associate Professor Charles DiStefano knows why.
“There’s really no incentive to enroll in a party,” he said. And there is a reason for that, he shared. It is because independent or unenrolled voters can participate in primary elections. In fact, the state is one of only 15 states that allow it.
Of course, every state allows the registration of independent voters, but for the most part, those voters are shut out of every election except congressional and general elections that occur each November.
DiStefano provided Missouri as an example of how some states allow independent voters to participate.
He said when an independent shows up at the polls, they asked which party ballot they want to vote; and it’s one party or the other, Missouri doesn’t allow cross party voting like here.
That cross-party voting has allowed Massachusetts to choose several Republican governors — William Weld, Mitt Romney, and Charley Baker — while its 11 members of Congress have been Democrats since 1997.
In 1992, Republicans Peter Blute and Peter G. Torkildsen were elected to Congress. However, both were defeated in 1996. Blute by current member James McGovern, who has held on to the seat since, and Torkildsen by John F. Tierney, who served until 2014 and was replaced by Seth Moulton.
However, cross-party voting in Western Massachusetts is not as evident in elections for state senators and representatives, even with unenrolled voters making up a majority of those registered.
Voter registration data from the Secretary of State’s office over the last 20 years clearly shows the shift.
In 2004 in Hampden County, there were 113,959 registered Democrats and by 2023 that number had dropped to 98,295, or a 14% decrease. The percentage decrease for registered Republicans in Hampden County was slighty smaller. There were 40,856 registered Republicans in 2004 versus 36,552 in 2023 or a 11% decrease.
The number of unenrolled voters increased in Hampden County from 123,113 in 2004 to 200,220 in 2023.
In 2004 in Hampshire County, there were 37,761 registered Democrats and by 2023 that number had dropped to 35,820, or a 5.2% decrease. The percentage decrease for registered Republicans in Hampshire County was much larger. There were 10,087 registered Republicans in 2004 versus 7,735 in 2023 or a 26.3% decrease.
The number of unenrolled voters increased in Hampshire County from 50,023 in 2004 to 60,353 in 2023, an 18% increase.
In Hampden County, seven towns — Blandford, Chester, Granville, Montgomery, Russell, Southwick, and Tolland — have slightly more registered Republicans than Democrats.
As a result, state Rep. Nicholas Boldyga (R-Southwick) is one of only 27 Republicans serving the House of Representatives.
However, in Westfield, where there are 716 less Republicans registered than Democrats, GOP state Rep. Kelly Pease easily won his seat in 2020. A seat that had been held by John Velis, a Democrat for six years, before winning a seat in the state Senate.
Even in Palmer, where there are 731 less Republicans than Democrats registered, the GOP’s Todd Smola (R-Warren) has served in the Statehouse as a representative for nearly 20 years. Other than Ware and Sturbridge, the other towns Smola represents — Brimfield, Holland, Wales, and Warren — have more registered Republicans than Democrats.
DiStefano said these days, those who do register for one of the major parties usually are considered party faithful.
While the chairs of the state GOP Party and Democratic Party generally agree that their members are considered faithful, both believe the high partisan nature of today’s politics on the state and national level discourages many from declaring an affiliation.
“We are witnessing a growing trend of voters registering as independent, which I believe stems from the highly partisan nature of politics today,” MassGOP Chair Amy Carnevale said.
State Democratic Party Chair Steve Kerrigan agreed that politics, especially in Washington, D.C. over the last 30 years, has become too divisive.
“Politics has gotten darker,” Kerrigan said, adding that he doesn’t blame people from shying away from registering for one party or the other because of the acrimony they see from politicians from both sides.
Despite the headwinds, MassGOP continues outreach efforts to attract new members.
“The MassGOP’s strategy is to prioritize issues affecting Massachusetts residents in a pragmatic manner. We believe this approach resonates most effectively with voters. We know that many independent voters in Massachusetts lean conservative, and we have been conducting outreach to encourage them to register as Republicans,” Carnevale said.
She said the GOP is demonstrating its commitment to solutions “rather than political gamesmanship.”
“We are confident that we will garner support from voters,” she said.
Kerrigan said that “we’d love to see more people register as Democrats,” but the reality is “not one Republican running for statewide office in 2022 won.”
“Only four Republican state senators and a couple of dozen state representatives did,” he added.
The one challenge, Kerrigan said, is identifying potential new candidates for state and national office.
“It’s a challenge,” he said because most people aren’t prepared for the scrutiny a candidate who stands for election now faces.
