Legislators Not Seeking Re-Election in 2026

As the 2026 election cycle approaches, the Massachusetts Legislature is bracing for a significant wave of change. A growing number of veteran lawmakers and rising political figures have announced they will not seek re-election for their current seats.

Legislators Who Are Retiring

Representative William Galvin (Democrat - 6th Norfolk)

• Next Move: Retirement
• Leadership Position: Dean of the House

Galvin has served in the legislature since 1991, where he has been a legislative insider and a strong advocate for his district of Canton, Avon, and Stoughton. Most would say he built influence through his command of House procedure and budget negotiations rather than public visibility. Galvin had a major hand in drafting and shepherding the new 2025-2026 new rules during his tenure as chair of the House Rules Committee. He is retiring after a 36-year tenure in office, where there are now 3 candidates in the running for the democratic nomination.

Representative Carmine Gentile (Democrat - 13th Middlesex)

• Next Move: Retirement
• Leadership Position: Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Higher Education

Gentile has served in the legislature for 11 years with a strong focus on higher education and consumer protection. He is recognized for his work as Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Higher Education, where he championed initiatives to improve college affordability and accessibility for students across the Commonwealth. With his state legislative retirement, Gentile’s longtime Legislative Aide, Ravi Simon, is now running unopposed for the 13th Middlesex seat.

Representative Brad Jones (Republican - 20th Middlesex)

• Next Move: Retirement
• Leadership Position: House Minority Leader and Ranking Minority of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy

Jones built his career as a fiscal institutionalist first elected in 1994, and leading House Republicans for more than two decades by emphasizing tax restraint, budget discipline, and negotiation over confrontation. But as the national GOP shifted toward Trumpism and a more combative style, Jones largely stuck to his pragmatic approach. While that earned him respect as a steady leader, it also left many Republicans dissatisfied, viewing his caucus as too willing to work within a Democratic-controlled Legislature rather than aggressively challenge it.

Representative Kimberly Ferguson (Republican - 1st Worcester)

• Next Move: Retirement
• Leadership Position: House Minority Leader and Ranking Minority of the House Committee on Bills in the Third Reading

Ferguson is retiring after three decades of service in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Prior to politics, Ferguson was a speech-language pathologist, so she championed services for people with brain injuries and helped shape the landmark Student Opportunity Act of 2019 as the GOP's top member on the Education Committee. Ferguson also led efforts to address service dog fraud in the Commonwealth, sponsoring legislation that sought to clarify the legal requirements for service animals. Her legacy is one of quiet but meaningful influence on education and health policy.

Senator Jason Lewis (Democrat - Fifth Middlesex)

• Next Move: Retirement
• Leadership Position: Chair of the Joint Committee on Education

Lewis' legacy is likely to be that of one of the Legislature's most consequential progressive policy architects of the last two decades. After entering the House in 2009 and the Senate in 2014, he helped lead passage of some of Massachusetts' defining laws of the past decade including: the Student Opportunity Act, the $15 minimum wage, universal paid family and medical leave, and later efforts on the Fair Share Amendment. Lewis retires after 12 years in public office.

Senator Patricia Jehlen (Democrat - 2nd Middlesex)

• Next Move: Retirement
• Leadership Position: Chair of the Joint Committee on Aging and Independence, Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Education

Jehlen, a staunch progressive, will step down at the end of 2026, concluding a long tenure focused on housing affordability, elder care, and labor rights. She was first elected in 1991 in the House, and later moved to the Senate in 2005. She was also a champion of the Student Opportunity Act and was instrumental in pushing forward the Pay Transparency Act of 2024 and the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase provision in the 2024 Economic Development Bill.

New Career Steps

Representative Christopher Markey (Democrat - 9th Bristol)

• Next Move: Running for District Attorney of Bristol

Markey’s legacy centers on public safety and criminal justice policy, informed by his background as a prosecutor and attorney. During his 15 years in the House, he became a key player on Judiciary matters, serving as vice chair of the Judiciary Committee in 2013 and later chair of the House Ethics Committee in 2019, while helping advance legislation on domestic violence, violent crime, juvenile justice, and court procedures.

Representative Jon Zlotnik (Democrat - Second Worcester)

• Next Move: Director of the Senior Leadership Program (MPA) at Clark University
• Leadership Position: Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Business

Zlotnik's legacy is less about a single landmark law than about steady advocacy for North Central Massachusetts. He helped elevate issues affecting Gateway Cities and rural communities within the House Democratic caucus and earned a reputation as a substantive, detail-oriented legislator focused on economic development, municipal finance, education funding, and constituent service. He entered public office after campaigning while a senior at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Zlotnik served for 14 years.

Representative. Rodney Elliott (Democrat - 16th Middlesex)

• Next Move: Collegiate Charter School of Lowell

Elliott's legislative legacy is relatively brief – he served just two terms in the Massachusetts House – but it capped nearly three decades in Lowell public life. Before arriving on Beacon Hill, Elliott spent 24 years on the Lowell City Council, including a term as mayor, where he earned a reputation as a fiscal watchdog and focused on municipal finance, infrastructure, and neighborhood issues. In the House, he continued to emphasize local government priorities. You could say his broader legacy is one of long-standing service to Lowell rather than major statewide legislative accomplishments, which is furthered by his transition to a role at a Lowell charter school.

Other Legislative Vacancies

Rep. Chris Flanagan (Democrat - 3rd Barnstable)

• Next Move: Facing federal fraud charges

It’d be fair to say Flanagan’s legacy is defined more by the circumstances of his exit than by his legislative accomplishments. He was first elected in 2022 after flipping a longtime Republican-held Cape Cod seat, but the young legislator has been indicted with eight counts of wire fraud, one count of money laundering, one count of falsification of records, and three counts of filing false tax returns, alleging he stole money from the Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Cape Cod and used some of it for personal expenses and campaign-related spending. The case is still pending, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

Taken together, these departures will leave vacancies atop committees and leadership posts. The next session will bring new chairs, new members, and a different mix of experience to Beacon Hill. We’ll keep you updated with updated races after the September 1st primaries. Stay tuned.