Democrat Cynthia Stone Creem is running for reelection to the Massachusetts State Senate representing the Norfolk and Middlesex district, which includes Brookline. The general election is Nov. 3, 2026.
Creem has held the seat since 1999 and serves as Senate majority leader, a role she has held since 2018, according to her Wikipedia page. Creem is a Brookline High graduate.
Candidate information
Party: Democratic
Born: Sept. 17, 1942, in Boston
Education: Brookline High; bachelor's degree in business administration, Boston University; juris doctor, Boston University
Occupation: Attorney at Stone, Stone & Creem, where she has practiced since 1967, according to BallotReady
Experience and public service
Creem has spent decades in elected office. Before joining the state Senate, she served as a councilmember on the Massachusetts Governor's Council from 1995 to 1999, according to BallotReady. She also served as an alderperson and president of the Newton Board of Aldermen, according to her campaign website.
According to her campaign website, Creem chaired the Criminal Justice Committee from 1999 to 2003, the Revenue Committee from 2003 to 2008 and the Joint Committee on Judiciary from 2009 to 2013.
On the issues
Creem's campaign website and BallotReady responses outline her positions on several policy areas.
Criminal justice: Creem said she successfully opposed reinstatement of the death penalty while chairing the Criminal Justice Committee. She said she helped reform the sex offender registry and drunken driving laws.
She described herself as a leading advocate for restoring judicial discretion in sentencing and eliminating mandatory minimum sentences. She said she helped secure reforms during the 2017–18 session that reduced crimes subject to mandatory minimums, added oversight of solitary confinement and moved juveniles charged with low-level offenses into diversion programs.
Civil rights: According to her Wikipedia page, Creem led passage of a 2018 law automatically registering eligible voters through the Registry of Motor Vehicles and MassHealth. In her BallotReady response, she said she supports a moratorium on government use of facial recognition software.
Environment: Creem said she supports banning toxic flame retardants and adopting the FUTURE Act to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
Guns: "I will continue to work for the constituents of my district by championing progressive policies, including stricter gun control laws," Creem said in her BallotReady response.
Health care: Creem said she served in a leadership role on a law legalizing stem-cell research.
Sources: Public campaign materials, published candidate profiles and the public records linked above. Policy statements are attributed to the candidate; funding or implementation details are included where available.
The Brookline Record did not receive a direct questionnaire response from the candidate and does not endorse candidates.
