Massachusetts has a reputation. If you ask anyone in a D.C. think tank or a coffee shop in Des Moines about politics in the Bay State, they'll tell you it’s a blue fortress. A place where Republicans go to watch their campaigns die a quiet, polite death. But when you actually look at what percentage of Massachusetts voted for Trump in the 2024 election, the numbers tell a story that's a lot more interesting than "blue team wins again."
It wasn't a total washout. Far from it.
Honestly, the raw data from the certified results shows that Donald Trump pulled in 36.02% of the vote in Massachusetts. While Kamala Harris secured the state’s 11 electoral votes with 61.22%, the shift on the ground was impossible to ignore. We are talking about 1,251,303 people who filled in the bubble for Trump. That’s more than a million voters in one of the most liberal states in the country.
The 2024 Shift: A Red Creep in a Blue State?
People tend to forget that Massachusetts isn't just Boston and Cambridge. Once you drive past the 495 loop, the political landscape starts to feel very different. In 2024, the state saw an eight-point shift toward the Republican Party compared to 2020. That is huge. It was actually one of the largest swings of any state in the nation, even outpacing the national average swing.
Why? It wasn't just one thing. It was a mix of economic anxiety, a dip in Democratic turnout in major cities like Springfield and Holyoke, and a surprising surge of support in specific communities.
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Where Trump Actually Won
If you looked at a map of Massachusetts by town rather than by population, you’d see a surprising amount of red. Trump didn't just compete; he won 79 different cities and towns across the Commonwealth.
Take a look at these pockets:
- The South Coast and Bristol County: This was a major battleground. Trump actually won Fall River with 50.0% of the vote. He also carried Acushnet with a massive 61.5% and Berkley with 60.5%.
- The "Pioneer Valley" Outskirts: While the Five College area (Amherst/Northampton) remains a Democratic stronghold, the surrounding rural towns moved right. Granville gave Trump 60.8%, and Blandford came in at 60.5%.
- Worcester County: This is often the "swing" heart of the state. Trump grabbed towns like Warren (57.1%) and Millville (58.9%).
The contrast is wild. In Provincetown, at the tip of Cape Cod, Harris got 91.4% of the vote. But just a few hours away in Southwick, Trump was the clear favorite with 59%. It's basically two different worlds sharing the same state tax code.
The Demographic Surprise: Latino Voters
One of the biggest shocks for local analysts was the "Latino shift." In cities with significant Hispanic populations, the Republican percentage climbed to historic highs. We saw this play out in places like Lawrence and Chelsea. While Harris still won these areas, the margins weren't nearly as comfortable as Joe Biden’s were in 2020.
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In Lawrence, for instance, Trump pulled about 40.3% of the vote. In a city that has traditionally been a Democratic powerhouse, that kind of Republican performance is a massive red flag for the state's Democratic establishment. It suggests that the "blue wall" has some pretty significant cracks in the foundation.
Comparing 2020 to 2024
To understand what percentage of Massachusetts voted for Trump today, you have to look at where he started.
- 2016: Trump received 32.8% of the vote.
- 2020: He dropped slightly to 32.1%.
- 2024: He jumped to 36.02%.
That four-point climb between 2020 and 2024 represents a significant "resurgence." It wasn't just that fewer people voted for the Democrats; more people actively chose Trump. Even though the state’s 11 electoral votes were never really in doubt, the 2024 results represent the best performance for a Republican presidential candidate in Massachusetts since the 1980s.
The Turnout Factor
Voter turnout in the Bay State was around 68.3%, which is actually a bit of a dip from the 2020 highs. Secretary of State William Galvin noted that participation dropped especially in cities with larger minority populations. When Democratic turnout sags in places like Boston (where Harris got 77.3%) or Cambridge (where she got 87.8%), the statewide percentage for the Republican candidate naturally inches upward.
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Interestingly, rural and suburban areas—where Trump performs better—didn't see the same kind of drop-off. They stayed energized.
What This Means for the Future
Does this mean Massachusetts is becoming a "purple" state? No. Let's be real. Democrats still hold every seat in the U.S. House, both Senate seats, and all constitutional offices in the state.
But it does mean that the "Massachusetts Republican" is changing. It's no longer just the moderate, Charlie Baker-style fiscal conservative. There is a motivated, populist base in the state that is more aligned with the national GOP than people in the Boston suburbs realize.
Actionable Insights for Following Mass Politics
If you want to keep a pulse on how the state is shifting, don't just look at the final "Winner: Democrat" headline. Here is what to track:
- Watch the South Coast: Bristol and Plymouth counties are the true bellwethers for Republican growth in the state. If the GOP continues to flip towns there, the state legislature might start feeling the heat.
- Look at the "Undeclared" Voters: Massachusetts has a huge percentage of independent (undeclared) voters—over 60%. They are the ones who swung toward Trump this cycle.
- Monitor Municipal Results: State elections often hinge on whether a candidate can appeal to the towns Trump won in 2024 while not alienating the "Mass Pike" liberals.
To get the most out of your election research, you should pull the raw town-by-town data from the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth's official PD43+ database. It allows you to see the exact vote counts for every precinct, which provides a much clearer picture of your specific neighborhood's political leanings than a statewide percentage ever could.
Next Steps for You:
Check the official certified town-by-town results on the Secretary of the Commonwealth's website to see exactly how your specific community compared to the 36% statewide average. You can also look up the 2024 primary data to see how the Republican vote split between Trump and Nikki Haley before the general election.