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Has 2026 got you feeling political? Do you wish somebody in government understood your concerns?
Good news: You can run for office. Yes, you!
State representatives, local district attorneys, the governor, and the Massachusetts delegation to Congress are all up for election in 2026. While elections to federal offices can feel polarizing or far away, your state and local representatives have the power to fund your schools and fix that pothole — and your voice makes a big difference in these elections.
And this year, your participation in democracy might mean running for something. The first deadline for submitting nomination papers and signatures is April 28. As the famed critic and journalist G.K. Chesterton once wrote: “Democracy is like blowing your nose. You may not do it well, but it’s something you ought to do yourself.”
On the South Coast, two open seats are drawing attention from would-be candidates: the 9th Bristol state representative, who represents Dartmouth and New Bedford on Beacon Hill, and the Bristol County District Attorney.
For these and other races, here’s how you can run for office in 2026.
How to run in 2026: Ask your neighbors (for signatures)
The first task for any potential candidate is to gather enough signatures to be accepted onto the ballot. To do so, you’ll need to determine what office you’d like to run for.
In Massachusetts, your current party registration status will determine if you’ll run in a primary election on Sept. 1 for your party’s nomination. If you are unenrolled in a party, a successful nomination means you will appear on the November ballot, no primary required.
For district and county races — which includes the 9th Bristol state rep and the Bristol D.A. — the last day to submit nomination papers for the certification of signatures is April 28 at 5 p.m. You need 150 signatures to run for state rep, 300 for state senate, and 1,000 for D.A.
For federal and statewide races — which include U.S. representatives and the governor — the deadline is May 5 at 5 p.m. Unenrolled candidates for federal and statewide races have until July 28.
There are also a slew of requirements dictated by state law, which vary for each office.
For instance, state representative candidates must reside in their district for one year before Election Day; state senate candidates must reside in their district on Election Day, and be residents of the state for five years; and District Attorney candidates must be a resident of the district and a member of the Massachusetts Bar.
Obtaining signatures often means knocking on doors. First, pick up the official signature forms from the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth — which has locations in Boston, Springfield, and Fall River. Papers can also be requested by mail or telephone.
With the signature forms in hand (and your personal information filled out), gather signatures from registered Massachusetts voters. To be certified, these signatures must be legible, with an address that matches the person’s registration address. Watch out for repeats — the same person can’t sign your papers twice.
Once gathered, submit the signatures to the local election office where the signers are registered. For example, if you collect signatures in New Bedford, the local elections office in New Bedford City Hall is the only place that can certify these signatures. In other towns, you must go to their respective election offices.
Once all your signatures have been certified, you will retrieve them and include them as part of your official candidate filing. The official filing of nomination papers takes place with the Secretary of the Commonwealth. Alongside the signatures, you must also submit an Ethics Receipt, a Written Acceptance of the nomination, and an Enrollment Certificate.
The recommendation from state officials is simple: “File early!” It’s possible that some signatures cannot be certified and candidates may need to gather more.
Running a campaign
Congratulations! If you’ve made it this far, maybe you’re on the ballot to run for local office. (Or maybe you’re just a nerd!)
But appearing on the ballot is still a long way off from holding political office. Just like putting on some sneakers doesn’t mean you’ve finished a marathon.
Campaigning for office is a long process of convincing the public of your platform — a job interview where voters are the hiring committee. There are many rules for how you can campaign, especially as it pertains to raising and spending money.
For district, county, and state candidates, you must contact the Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF), which administers state finance laws. Federal office candidates must contact the Federal Election Commission (the FEC).
Each candidate must organize a campaign committee, with a designated treasurer, to report on all fundraising and spending activities — everything from the T-shirts you buy to the TV ads you produce. The treasurer must complete a training with OCPF on the relevant campaign finance laws. And more than 50 banks participate in the depository reporting system, where you can set up your bank account.
The offices you can run for
These are the offices you can run for in Massachusetts this year. In New Bedford, two open seats headline the slate. Some information on already-declared candidates comes from Ballotpedia, and is current as of the publication date.
Bristol County District Attorney: Current D.A. Thomas Quinn III, a Democrat, announced this year that he will not seek reelection. He was appointed to the post in 2015 by Gov. Charlie Baker. Seth Aitken, a Republican, announced his candidacy in 2025. State Rep. Chris Markey, a Democrat from Dartmouth, entered the race on the Democratic ticket this year.
9th Bristol state representative: Markey’s decision to run for D.A. means that his current seat at the Statehouse will be open. Democrats Steve Medeiros and Ed Pacheco have indicated their intention to run. Republican Chester Tam is running for the seat as well.
Other Statehouse legislative seats: The other legislative offices that represent New Bedford in the state’s House of Representatives include the 8th, 10th, 11th, and 13th Bristol representatives. One state senator represents New Bedford and surrounding towns. All these offices are up for election. In all cases, the incumbents are seeking reelection.
Bristol County Register of Probate: Managing the county Probate and Family Court Department falls to an elected official. In Bristol County, Thomas C. Hoye Jr. assists the public with family-related and probate matters, including child support, custody, adoption, wills, estates, and name changes.
Other statewide races are likely to draw high turnout among voters.
Governor and lieutenant governor: The incumbent Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov Kim Driscoll are running for re-election on the Democratic ticket. Mathew Dewar and Andrea James, both Democrats, have filed to run for governor as of this publication. On the Republican side, Mike Kennealy, Michael Minogue, and Brian Shortsleeve are running for governor. New Bedford City Councilor Shawn Oliver is joined by Anne Brensley and Anne Manning-Martin as Republican candidates for lieutenant governor.
U.S. senator and U.S. representatives: Sen. Ed Markey has drawn multiple challengers in Massachusetts. These include four candidates who will not participate in a major party primary, either because they are third-party candidates or independents: Philip Devincentis, Joseph Tache, Shiva Ayyadurai, and Morgan Dawicki; two Republicans, Nathan Bech and John Deaton; and three Democrats, William Gates, Seth Moulton, and Alexander Rikleen. New Bedford’s representative in the U.S. House, Bill Keating, has so far drawn one Democratic challenger, Craig Swallow. Republican Robert MacAllister is also running.
For the full list of offices on this year’s ballot, see the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website.
Email Colin Hogan at chogan@newbedfordlight.org
