Nothing like an open House seat to get the political juices flowing. With Kevin Murphy selected to be the next Lowell City Manager last night, he will soon resign as the representative for the Eighteenth Middlesex District. Given the timing of this, I believe there will not be a special election but that the seat will be filled in November’s state election with the primary in September (although the winner will probably be seated immediately after the election rather than waiting until January 2015).

Kevin Murphy was elected to this seat in 1996 when the incumbent representative, Steve Panagiotakos, successfully ran for the First Middlesex Senate seat being vacated by Dan Leahy (the father of current city councilor John Leahy). Kevin won the Democratic primary in a field that included Joe McNamee and Donald Leblanc and then went on to win a tough general election against the very popular Tim Golden, then a ticket-topping member of the Lowell School Committee as well as a Lowell police officer. Murphy has successfully run for reelection every two years since then with only nominal or no opposition.

The Eighteenth Middlesex District consists of Precincts 1 and 2 of Ward 2; all of Ward 3, Precinct 1 of Ward 4; and all of Wards 7 and 8. I assume there will be plenty of candidates. A couple have already taken preliminary steps; others have quietly been spreading the word of their interest. Because I live in this district, I will be especially interested in this campaign and will cover it extensively.

For now, though, here’s a geographic and demographic breakdown of the precincts that make up this district:

Ward 2 (Downtown/Acre)

Ward 2, Precinct 1 – Population – 3373; Registered – 1221; %-Reg – 36%; Age 33
2-1 Boundary – Merrimack River x Cabot x Salem x Merrimack River
Includes upper Merrimack & Moody, UML’s Fox Hall, University Crossing (St Joseph’s Hospital), LeLacheur Park. Polling Place: Tsongas Center on Martin Luther King Jr Way

Ward 2, Precinct 2 – Population – 3342; Registered – 1760; %-Reg – 53%; Age 49
2-2 Boundary – Merrimack River x Kirk/Dutton x Fletcher x Cabot
Includes Moody St, Salem St, Riverplace Towers, Tsongas Arena, North Common Village
Polling Place: Tsongas Center on Martin Luther King Jr Way

Ward 3 (Middlesex Village/Highlands)

Ward 3, Precinct 1 – Population – 3171; Registered – 1518; %-Reg – 48%; Age 45
3-1 Boundary – Merrimack River x Harvard St x Princeton Blvd x North Chelmsford
Includes Middlesex St, Burnside, Webber, Hadley, Wood. Humane Society to Rourke Bridge
Polling Place: Bailey School on Campbell Dr

Ward 3, Precinct 2 – Population – 3187; Registered – 1390; %-Reg – 44%; Age 42
3-2 Boundary – Broadway x Walker x Princeton Blvd x Harvard St
Includes parts of Middlesex, Wilder, UML South Campus, city DPW HQ
Polling Place: Bailey School on Campbell Dr

Ward 3, Precinct 3 – Population – 3125; Registered – 1422; %-Reg – 46%; Age 45
3-3 Boundary – Princeton Blvd x School St x Liberty/Pine x Gibson
Includes Cupples Sq west to Tyler Park. Polling Place: Morey School on Pine St

Ward 4 (Highlands)

Ward 4, Precinct 1 – Population – 3369; Registered – 1730; %-Reg – 51%; Age 44
4-1 Boundary – Pine/Liberty x School/Powell x Parker x Stevens
Includes Shaw, Wilder, Puffer, Morey, A, B, C, St Margarets, Callery Park
Polling Place: Morey School on Pine St

Ward 7 (Acre)

Ward 7, Precinct 1 – Population – 3341; Registered – 1416; %-Reg – 42%; Age 46
7-1 Boundary – Merrimack River x Fletcher St x Broadway x Humane Society
Includes Wilder, Walker, Wannalancit, Pawtucket, UML South Campus, Bartlett School
Polling Place: Senior Center on Broadway

Ward 7, Precinct 2 – Population – 3300; Registered – 1516; %-Reg – 46%; Age 41
7-2 Boundary – Bowers St x Fletcher St x Western Ave x School St
Includes Cross, Mt. Vernon, Willie. From Textile Museum to Stoklosa School
Polling Place: Senior Center on Broadway

Ward 7, Precinct 3 – Population – 3158; Registered – 1243; %-Reg – 39%; Age 42
7-3 Boundary – Broadway/Western Ave x Fletcher x Westford x Walker
Includes Branch, Middlesex, Pevey, School, Clemente Park, Pailin Plaza
Polling Place: Senior Center on Broadway

Ward 8 (Highlands)

Ward 8, Precinct 1 – Population – 3354; Registered – 1504; %-Reg – 45%; Age 45
8-1 Boundary – Princeton Blvd x Gibson St x Pine/Westford/Stedman x Drum Hill
Includes Wood St, Montview, Rutland, Georgia Ave, Tyler Park
Polling Place: Firehouse at Pine & Stevens

Ward 8, Precinct 2 – Population – 3305; Registered – 1815; %-Reg – 55%; Age 46
8-2 Boundary – Parker St x Lowell Connector x Chelmsford line x Steven St
Includes Chelmsford, Jenness, Viola, Avenue C, Lowell Catholic, Cross Point, Lowe’s
Polling Place: Daley School on Fleming St

Ward 8, Precinct 3 – Population – 3124; Registered – 2162; %-Reg – 69%; Age 50
8-3 Boundary – Pine/Westford x Stevens x Rte 3 x Stedman St
Includes Wedge, Lincoln Pkwy, Sanders, Staples, Mt Pleasant Golf Club
Polling Place: Daley School on Fleming St