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The Hampden Senatorial District is one of 40 electoral districts that each send one senator to the Massachusetts Senate. The district is represented by state Sen. James T. Welch of West Springfield, a Democrat.

The district consists of all of West Springfield, and portions of Chicopee and Springfield. It takes its name from Hampden County, the county in which all three cities are located.

Under previous apportionment plans, the district has also been known as the 1st Hampden District or the Eastern Hampden District.

Cities and towns
All of West Springfield and the southwestern quarter of Chicopee (wards 2, 3 and 4) are in the Hampden District.

Neighborhoods of the city of Springfield in the district include Bay; Boston Road; McKnight-Mason Square; Metro Center (including the Apremont Triangle Historic District, Court Square and Quadrangle–Mattoon Street Historic District); the North End (including Brightwood, Liberty Heights and Memorial Square); Pine Point; Six Corners-Maple Heights; and the South End. Neighborhoods partially in the district include Indian Orchard; Forest Park; Old Hill; and Upper Hill.

The district's boundaries in Springfield follow precinct lines, including: ward 1, all precincts; ward 2, precincts A, B, C, D, E, F and H; ward 3, all precincts; ward 4, precincts A, B, C, D, E, G and H; ward 5, precincts A, B, C and E; ward 6, precincts A, B, C, E, F and G; and ward 8, precincts B, C, D, E, F, G and H.

History
The Hampden District can trace its history back 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. The towns that would become Hampden County were initially part of Hampshire County, and helped elect its four senators; after the formation of a separate Hampden County in 1812, the three Pioneer Valley counties shared three or four senators. After 1821, Hampden County elected two senators on its own.

1857-1906: Eastern Hampden County
When a statewide system of single-member districts was established in 1857, the Eastern Hampden District consisted of Springfield and seven towns to its south and east: Brimfield, Holland, Longmeadow (including present-day East Longmeadow), Monson, Palmer, Wales and Wilbraham (including present-day Hampden).

In the redistricting of 1876, the Eastern Hampden District was renamed the 1st Hampden District. It continued to include the same towns, except for the shift of Longmeadow (still including the future East Longmeadow) to the new 2nd Hampden District.

In 1878, the town of Hampden split from Wilbraham, though it initially remained part of the 1st Hampden District. In the redistricting of 1886, however, Hampden was moved to the 2nd Hampden District. No other changes were made to the 1st Hampden District, which retained its new borders through the redistricting of 1896.

1906-1960: Springfield and south
Radical reapportionment in 1906 curtailed the district's boundaries to the city limits of Springfield, which the eastern towns all joining the largely rural Worcester and Hampden District.

In 1916, the district picked up Longmeadow and East Longmeadow, immediately south of the city, but lost some northwestern neighborhoods of Springfield to the 2nd Hampden District. It continued to contain parts of Springfield and Longmeadow until 1960; East Longmeadow was moved to the Worcester and Hampden District in 1939.

1960-1988: Springfield and east
Longmeadow was redistricted to the Hampden and Berkshire District in 1960, and Ludlow, on its northeastern border, was reunited with parts of Springfield in the new 1st Hampden District.

With the elimination of the 2nd Hampden District in 1973, the former 1st Hampden District's name was changed to the Hampden District. It continued to consist of all of Ludlow and most of Springfield.

Stanley Zarod was re-elected with no opponents in 1974 and 1976.

In 1977, the district expanded to include Wilbraham, as well as continuing to include Ludlow and the central and eastern neighborhoods of Springfield.

In 1980, Martin T. Reilly of Springfield defeated the incumbent state senator by a 60-40 margin in the Democratic primary election.

Reilly was re-elected with no opponents in 1982, 1984 and 1986. He did not run for re-election in 1988, after the district boundaries had changed.

1989-1994: Springfield and southwest
Redistricting in 1987 moved Ludlow and Wilbraham, and the eastern half of Springfield into the new 2nd Hampden District. A new 1st Hampden District was formed with the western half of Springfield and three suburbs to the west and south: Agawam, Longmeadow and West Springfield.

This district inherited much of its territory, and its incumbent state senator, Linda Melconian, from the 1st Hampden and Hampshire District. Melconian was re-elected with no opponents in 1988 and 1990.

Melconian was re-elected with no opponents in 1994.

1995-2012: Springfield and west
The district name changed again in 1993, back to Hampden District. Longmeadow and some central neighborhoods of Springfield left the district to join the eastern neighborhoods and suburbs in the new 1st Hampden and Hampshire District. Southern neighborhoods of Chicopee were added to the Hampden District, to join Agawam, West Springfield and western Springfield. These district boundaries remained largely unchanged in the reapportionment of 2001.

Melconian was re-elected with no opponents in 1996.

Melconian was re-elected with no opponents in 2002, but decided not to run for re-election in 2004.

Stephen Buoniconti was re-elected with no opponents in 2006 and 2008. He decided to run for district attorney in 2010, resulting in contested primary elections for his senate seat in both major parties. In the Democratic primary, state Representative James T. Welch defeated Agawam Mayor Susan R. Dawson and West Springfield union leader Ronald R. Patenaude. In the Republican primary, Agawam City Councilor Robert A. Magovern beat West Springfield college administrator Kenneth G. Condon.

In 2012, Welch defeated a primary election challenge by Melvin A. Edwards of Springfield, but faced no opponent in the general election.

2013-present: Springfield and northwest
In the new lines drawn in 2011, the district's footprint in Springfield and Chicopee was redrawn, and Agawam was removed from the Hampden District, joining the 2nd Hampden and Hampshire District.

Welch was re-elected with no opponents in 2014 and 2016.