This is quite a change for Massachusetts. Isn’t it?
Not being from there I don’t know ALL the history but as a student of history my mind can not recollect it being a Pubbie of Conservative state. Except maybe during the Civil War/War Between the States.
Ed Brooke was elected to the Senate in MA even though he was a R, but it was because he was a clean, well spoken negro...
Edward Brooke was the last Republican elected to the U.S. Senate. Hardly a Conservative. He was defeated in the late 70s by Paul Tsongas.
Massachusetts was generally Republican until after WWII. Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. was the last of the old line GOP.