The Ballot Brief
Middlesex County, Massachusetts

Massachusetts Senate, First Middlesex District

2 candidates are tracked for Massachusetts Senate, First Middlesex District on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Vanna Howard and Sam S. Meas. Candidate information follows official Middlesex County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

About this race

Vanna Howard (Democratic), Sam S. Meas (Republican) are on the November 3 ballot for Massachusetts Senate, First Middlesex District; Vanna Howard 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. 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, Vanna Howard, is on the ballot.

Massachusetts › Middlesex County › Massachusetts Senate, First Middlesex District

Vanna Howard

Vanna Howard

Democratic Incumbent

Top priorities
  • Addressing housing costs for families being priced out of their homes
  • Strengthening childcare access
  • Public safety and violence prevention

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Vanna Howard was sworn in as the Massachusetts State Senator for the First Middlesex District on March 18, 2026, becoming the first Cambodian American state senator in the nation, according to a Massachusetts Legislature press release. She previously worked as chief of external and government relations for the Lowell Community Health Center and as Greater Lowell regional director for former U.S. Representative Niki Tsongas.

Sam S. Meas

Republican

Top priorities
  • Pursuing sensible, affordable energy policy
  • Auditing the state Legislature and executive branch
  • Increasing the state's share of revenue returned to cities and towns for schools and local infrastructure

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Sam S. Meas came to the United States in 1986 as a refugee from Cambodia, sponsored by Catholic Charities USA, according to his campaign site. He graduated from Virginia Tech in 1996 with a degree in finance and now owns a real estate brokerage and a tax accounting business in Lowell, per the site.

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Questions about this race

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

2 candidates are tracked for Massachusetts Senate, First Middlesex District on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Vanna Howard and Sam S. Meas. Candidate information follows official Middlesex County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

When is the Massachusetts Senate, First Middlesex 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 Middlesex 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 Middlesex County and state election office filings, last verified September 29, 2026. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.

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

The rest of your Middlesex County ballot

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

Also on your ballot
Massachusetts Senate, Middlesex and Norfolk DistrictMassachusetts Senate, Middlesex and Suffolk DistrictMassachusetts Senate, Middlesex and Worcester DistrictSee all 59 Middlesex County races
Candidate profiles
Vanna Howard, full profileSam S. Meas, full profileOfficial Massachusetts election office