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The Worcester and Norfolk Senatorial District is one of 40 electoral districts that each send one senator to the Massachusetts Senate. The district is represented by state Sen. Ryan Fattman of Webster, a Republican.

The district consists of several cities in southern Worcester County, ranging from Southbridge to Milford, and the town of Bellingham in Norfolk County.

Under previous apportionment plans, the district has also been known as the 4th Worcester District and the West Worcester District.

Cities and towns
The Worcester and Norfolk District consists of all or part of 14 cities and towns.

History
The Worcester and Norfolk District can trace its history back, through the former 4th Worcester District, to the original state senatorial districts created in 1857. Before the 1857 apportionment, senators were elected by county, with some counties serving as multi-member districts. Worcester County formed a single district with a delegation consisting of four, five or six senators during the various apportionments of 1780 to the 1850s.

1857-1886
When a statewide system of single-member districts was established in 1957, most of the towns currently in the Worcester and Norfolk District were in the East Worcester District and the South East Worcester District, but the forerunner of the 4th District was the West Worcester District, consisting of the towns of Athol, Barre, Dana, Hardwick, Holden, Hubbardston, New Braintree, North Brookfield, Oakham, Paxton, Petersham, Phillipston, Royalston, Templeton and Winchendon.

In the redistricting of 1866, the district's name was changed to 4th Worcester District and two towns were added: Gardner from the North East Worcester District, and Rutland from the Central Worcester District.

1886-1896
The redistricting of 1886 saw all of the 4th District towns redistricted, except Holden. Royalston and Winchendon joined the Franklin District; North Brookfield and Paxton joined the 3rd Worcester District; and all other district towns formed the eastern half of the new Worcester and Hampshire District.

The new 4th Worcester District covered a territory similar to the previous apportionment's 5th Worcester District, with Fitchburg, Holden, Lancaster, Leominster, Lunenburg, Princeton, Sterling, West Boylston, Westminster and two northern wards of the city of Worcester.

1896-1906
With the redistricting of 1896, Fitchburg and other North County towns moved to the 3rd Worcester District, and the 4th District added several western and southwestern Worcester County towns. The 4th Worcester District now consisted of Barre, Brookfield (including present-day East Brookfield), Charlton, Dana, Dudley, Hardwick, Hubbardston, Leicester, New Braintree, North Brookfield, Oakham, Paxton, Petersham, Phillipston, Princeton, Rutland, Southbridge, Spencer, Sturbridge, Templeton, Warren, Webster and West Brookfield.

1906-1949
Most of the 4th District towns moved to the new Worcester and Hampden District in the redistricting of 1906, as the 4th District took on roughly its present shape, covering southern and eastern Worcester County. Towns in the 4th Worcester District now included Auburn, Blackstone, Douglas, Grafton, Hopedale, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Northborough, Northbridge, Oxford, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Sutton, Upton, Uxbridge, Webster and Westborough.

In the redistricting of 1916, Bellingham in neighboring Norfolk County was added. Millville separated from Blackstone but remained part of the district.

In 1926, the Norfolk County communities of Franklin and Plainville joined the district.

Dudley was added to the western end of the district in the redistricting of 1939, and the three Norfolk County towns were removed from the district.

1949-1975
In the redistricting of 1948, Blackstone and Millville moved to the Middlesex and Norfolk District, and the 4th District expanded north. The district now consisted of Auburn, Berlin, Bolton, Boylston, Douglas, Dudley, Grafton, Hopedale, Mendon, Milford, Northborough, Northbridge, Oxford, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Sutton, Upton, Uxbridge, Webster and Westborough.

In 1960's redistricting, Berlin, Bolton and Northborough moved to the Middlesex and Worcester District, and Boylston moved to the 3rd Worcester District; and Blackstone and Millville were added back to the 4th Worcester District.

State Rep. James A. Kelly, Jr. was elected to represent the 4th Worcester Senatorial District in 1964, a post he would hold until 1979.

The district lost much of its northern tier, Grafton, Hopedale, Millbury, Shrewsbury, Southborough and Upton, in the redistricting of 1970, but added Southbridge at its western end and Bellingham on its eastern end.

1975-1995
The district kept the same territory, but took a new name in the apportionment of 1973. The new Worcester and Norfolk District consisted of Auburn, Bellingham, Blackstone, Douglas, Dudley, Mendon, Milford, Millville, Northbridge, Oxford, Southbridge, Sutton, Uxbridge and Webster.

The redistricting of 1977 added another town on the district's western edge, Charlton. Longtime Sen. James A. Kelly Jr. opted not to run for re-election in 1978.

Bertonazzi was re-elected with no opponents in 1980.

Bertonazzi was re-elected with no opponents in 1984 and 1986.

Redistricting in 1987 moved Sutton to the 1st Worcester and Middlesex District but left the Worcester and Norfolk District otherwise unchanged. Bertonazzi was re-elected with no opposition in 1988.

Bertonazzi was re-elected with no opponents in 1992.

1995-2013
In 1993, redistricting moved Auburn to the 2nd Worcester District. Bertonazzi was re-elected with no opponents in 1994. He resigned in the middle of the 1995-96 session, prompting a special election in March 1996.

Moore was re-elected with no opponents in the November elections of 1996, 1998 and 2000.

For the redistricting of 2001, the district lost Charlton to the Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin District, and added Hopedale from the 2nd Worcester District.

Moore was re-elected with no opponents in 2006 and 2008.

2013-present
In 2011, the town of Northbridge was split, with two precincts remaining in the Worcester and Norfolk District while two moved to the 2nd Worcester District. The Worcester and Norfolk District now consists of Bellingham, Blackstone, Douglas, Dudley, Hopedale, Mendon, Milford, Millville, Oxford, Southbridge, Sutton, Uxbridge, Webster and half of Northbridge.

Moore was re-elected with no opponents in 2012.

Fattman was re-elected with no opponents in 2016.