The Ballot Brief
Essex County, Massachusetts

Massachusetts Senate, First Essex District

2 candidates are tracked for Massachusetts Senate, First Essex District on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Pavel M. Payano and Fraylin S. Angelina. Candidate information follows official Essex County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

About this race

Pavel M. Payano (Democratic), Fraylin S. Angelina (Republican) are on the November 3 ballot for Massachusetts Senate, First Essex District; Pavel M. Payano is the sitting member, per the Massachusetts Senate's official member directory (malegislature.gov). Nominees were chosen at the September 1, 2026 primary or, where only one candidate qualified for a party, print unopposed; Massachusetts elects this seat by plurality vote. At least one party's nominee here won its primary as a write-in candidate; the Secretary of the Commonwealth's certified November candidate list (not yet published) is the check for that seat's final field. Unenrolled and third-party candidates who qualify by nomination paper are not reflected in primary results and are not yet available from a certified source; check the Secretary of the Commonwealth's November list once published. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.

What this office does

State legislator. State legislators write and vote on state laws and the state budget, which fund schools, roads, prisons, universities and health programs, and set the rules for local governments and elections. Each member represents one district and serves on committees that shape bills before a floor vote. Terms are two years in most state houses and four in most state senates.

This race. Elected by district: only voters who live in the district see this race on their ballot. The sitting officeholder, Pavel M. Payano, is on the ballot.

Massachusetts › Essex County › Massachusetts Senate, First Essex District

Pavel M. Payano

Pavel M. Payano

DemocraticIncumbent

Biography

Pavel M. Payano is the Democratic nominee for Massachusetts Senate, First Essex District on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Secretary of the Commonwealth's September 1, 2026 primary results. Pavel M. Payano is a sitting member for the district, per the Massachusetts Senate's official member directory (malegislature.gov). Is the son of immigrant parents who worked in the Lawrence Public Schools system and served Lawrence for over a decade, including as a School Committee member and City Councilor at Large, before his Senate election, per malegislature.gov official biography. Previously worked as a social worker for the Department of Transitional Assistance and taught graduate classes at Merrimack College, per malegislature.gov official biography. No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026.

Fraylin S. Angelina

Republican

Top priorities

  • Reducing the cost of housing, utilities, groceries, and energy
  • Expanding vocational education pathways in the trades
  • Streamlining permitting to support small businesses

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Fraylin S. Angelina is the Republican nominee for Massachusetts Senate, First Essex District on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Secretary of the Commonwealth's September 1, 2026 primary results. Fraylin S. Angelina won the Republican primary as a write-in candidate; a write-in primary winner must accept the nomination, and the Secretary of the Commonwealth's certified November candidate list (not yet published as of September 11, 2026) is the source that confirms this seat's final printed field. Is a Republican write-in candidate for the First Essex District, serving Lawrence, Methuen, and Haverhill, per candidate campaign site.

Next on your ballotMassachusetts Senate, First Essex and Middlesex District

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Questions about this race

Who is running for Massachusetts Senate, First Essex District in 2026?

2 candidates are tracked for Massachusetts Senate, First Essex District on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Pavel M. Payano and Fraylin S. Angelina. Candidate information follows official Essex County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

When is the Massachusetts Senate, First Essex District election in Massachusetts?

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Massachusetts are on the Massachusetts election hub at theballotbrief.com.

How do I see my exact Essex County ballot?

Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.

Verify this race

Candidate roster from official Essex County and state election office filings, last verified October 3, 2026. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.

Cross-check with the official Massachusetts election office, or see the full Essex County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.

The rest of your Essex County ballot

27 tracked races in Essex County, Massachusetts. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.

Also on your ballot
Massachusetts Senate, Second Essex DistrictMassachusetts Senate, Second Essex and Middlesex DistrictMassachusetts Senate, Third Essex DistrictSee all 27 Essex County races
Candidate profiles
Pavel M. Payano, full profileFraylin S. Angelina, full profileOfficial Massachusetts election office