Massachusetts: Five-Peat in Least Competitive Elections?

Did you know that every election cycle, Ballotpedia produces a Legislative Competitiveness Report? The competitiveness of elections in each state is quantified based on the number of open seats, incumbents in contested primaries, and general elections with Democrat and Republican candidates running head-to-head.

In 2022, the least competitive state was Massachusetts.

In 2020, the least competitive state was also Massachusetts.

And in 2018, the least competitive state was again Massachusetts.

Guess what the least competitive state was in 2016? You guessed it -- Massachusetts

A recent article in Politico suggests that this year, the state is on track for a five-peat. What can our state do differently to usher in more competition? Maybe some combination of ranked choice voting, open primaries, or term limits could move the needle. How can our state attract more compelling candidates to identify and seek opportunities in elected offices?