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Editors Note: We updated this article for 2019. This is our third time ranking the most conservative places to live in Massachusetts.

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Well this has been one heck of a couple of years for the Republican Party. Never in my life time have I see anything like it given thats a relatively short lifetime, but whos counting?

And now that were headed towards the next big election, we wanted to get a better sense of what parts of Massachusetts would be the most likely to back Donald Trump again.

Specifically, which cities have the highest number of conservative voters in the Bay State?

In order to do so, we turned our sites on measuring how each city in Massachusetts with populations greater than 12,000 voted and contributed to political campaigns in the past several years. The cities with the highest percentage of voters who voted republican and gave the most to conservatives where named the most conservative cities in the state.

If youre wondering, Boston is the most liberal city in Massachusetts of all those we measured.

And to be clear, we didnt form this list based on our own biases we relied on the cold hard data. For more on how we ran the numbers, keep on reading. Then well take a closer look at each of our top 10 most conservative cities in Massachusetts.

And if you already knew these places were conservative, check out some more reading about Massachusetts and the most conservative places in the country:

We started by making a list of every city in Massachusetts over 12,000 people based on the 2013-2017 American Community Survey (The most recent data). That left us with 53 cities and towns.

We then measured the voting record and donation data to determine which places lean the most rightward in their allegiances by:

Next, we ranked each city from 1 to 53 for each of the criteria where number one was the most conservative.

The winner, Brockton, is The Most Conservative City in Massachusetts For 2019.

Lets go through these conservative places, shall we?

Population: 95,161Percent Republican: 42.5%$ Republican Amount Per Capita: $0.6# Republican Contributions Per Capita: 0.0More on Brockton:Photos |Data

Brockton is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States; the population was 95,314 in the 2015 Census. Brockton, along with Plymouth, are the county seats of Plymouth County. Brockton is the seventh largest city in Massachusetts and is sometimes referred to as the City of Champions, due to the success of native boxers Rocky Marciano and Marvin Hagler, as well as its successful Brockton High School sports programs. Two of the villages within the city are Montello and Campello, both have the distinction of having their own MBTA Commuter Rail Stations and post offices. Campello is the smallest neighborhood in the city, but also the most populous. Brockton hosts a baseball team, the Brockton Rox. Brockton is one of the windiest cities in the United States, with an average wind speed of 14.3mph.

Population: 44,326Percent Republican: 41.8%$ Republican Amount Per Capita: $1.24# Republican Contributions Per Capita: 0.01More on Attleboro:Photos |Data

Attleboro is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It was once known as The Jewelry Capital of the World for its many jewelry manufacturers. According to the 2010 census, Attleboro had a population of 43,593 in 2010.

Source: Public domain

Population: 89,258Percent Republican: 41.8%$ Republican Amount Per Capita: $1.07# Republican Contributions Per Capita: 0.01More on Fall River:Photos |Data

Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. Fall Rivers population was 88,857 at the 2010 census, making it the tenth-largest city in the state.

Source: Public domain

Population: 56,826Percent Republican: 41.8%$ Republican Amount Per Capita: $1.38# Republican Contributions Per Capita: 0.0More on Taunton:Photos |Data

Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located approximately 40 miles south of Boston, 18 miles east of Providence, 10 miles north of Fall River, 20 miles north of New Bedford, and 25 miles west of Plymouth. It is the seat of Bristol County. Taunton is situated on the Taunton River which winds its way through the city on its way to Mount Hope Bay, 10 miles to the south. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 55,874. Thomas Hoye Jr. is the current mayor of Taunton, and has held the position since 2012.

Population: 95,125Percent Republican: 41.8%$ Republican Amount Per Capita: $1.14# Republican Contributions Per Capita: 0.01More on New Bedford:Photos |Data

New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts. New Bedford is nicknamed The Whaling City because during the 19th century, the city was one of the most important, if not the most important, whaling ports in the world, along with Nantucket, Massachusetts and New London, Connecticut. The city, along with Fall River and Taunton, make up the three largest cities in the South Coast region of Massachusetts.

Population: 184,743Percent Republican: 40.4%$ Republican Amount Per Capita: $1.54# Republican Contributions Per Capita: 0.01More on Worcester:Photos |Data

Worcester pronunciation is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the citys population was 181,045, making it the second most populous city in New England after Boston. Worcester is located approximately 40 miles west of Boston, 50 miles east of Springfield and 40 miles north of Providence. Due to its location in Central Massachusetts, Worcester is known as the Heart of the Commonwealth, thus, a heart is the official symbol of the city. However, the heart symbol may also have its provenance in lore that the mass-produced Valentines Day card was invented in the city.

Source: Public domain

Population: 40,666Percent Republican: 40.4%$ Republican Amount Per Capita: $0.35# Republican Contributions Per Capita: 0.0More on Fitchburg:Photos |Data

Fitchburg is the third largest city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,318 at the 2010 census. Fitchburg is home to Fitchburg State University as well as 17 public and private elementary and high schools.

Population: 16,858Percent Republican: 40.4%$ Republican Amount Per Capita: $1.61# Republican Contributions Per Capita: 0.0More on Southbridge Town:Photos |Data

The Town of Southbridge has a city form of government with a city council legislative body, but via a statute calls itself a Town. It is located in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 16,719 at the 2010 census. Southbridge is one of fourteen Massachusetts municipalities that have applied for, and been granted, city forms of government but wish to retain The town of- in their official names.

Source: Public domain

Population: 41,446Percent Republican: 40.4%$ Republican Amount Per Capita: $2.23# Republican Contributions Per Capita: 0.01More on Leominster:Photos |Data

Leominster is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the second-largest city in Worcester County, with a population of 40,759 at the 2010 census. Leominster is located north of Worcester and west of Boston. Both Route 2 and Route 12 pass through Leominster. Interstate 190, Route 13, and Route 117 all have starting/ending points in Leominster. Leominster is bounded by Fitchburg and Lunenburg to the north, Lancaster to the east, Sterling and Princeton to the south, and Westminster to the west.

Population: 20,496Percent Republican: 40.4%$ Republican Amount Per Capita: $0.55# Republican Contributions Per Capita: 0.0More on Gardner:Photos |Data

Gardner is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 20,228 at the 2010 census. Gardner is home to Dunn State Park, Gardner Heritage State Park, Lake Wampanoag Wildlife Sanctuary, and Mount Wachusett Community College.

Next 10 Cities

Well there you have it, the places in Massachusetts that have the highest number of conservatives per capita, with Brockton ranking as the least conservative in the entire state.

If youre curious, here are the least conservative cities in Massachusetts:

For more Massachusetts reading, check out:

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U.S. Rep. Tom Reed, a Republican from western New York who was accused last week of rubbing a female lobbyists back and unhooking her bra without her consent in 2017, apologized to the woman on Sunday and announced that he will not run for reelection next year.

Reed, 49, said in a statement that the incident involving then-lobbyist Nicolette Davis occurred at a time in my life in which I was struggling. He said he entered treatment that year and realized he was powerless over alcohol.

Reed apologized to his wife and children, and to Davis, and said he planned to dedicate my time and attention to making amends for my past actions.

Reed, who was first elected to Congress in 2010, had been among the members of Congress calling for the resignation of Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo over sexual harassment allegations. In late February, Reed said he was seriously considering running for governor against Cuomo should the Democrat seek a fourth term next year.

Reed said in his statement Sunday that he would not seek any elective office in 2022.

The announcement came two days after The Washington Post reported the allegations from Davis, who was 25 and a lobbyist for insurer Aflac when she said Reed, seated next to her at a Minneapolis bar, unhooked her bra from outside her blouse and moved his hand to her thigh.

A drunk congressman is rubbing my back, she texted a co-worker at Aflac that evening, adding later, HELP HELP.

Reed released a statement Friday saying, This account of my actions is not accurate.

In his statement Sunday he said, " In reflection, my personal depiction of this event is irrelevant. Simply put, my behavior caused her pain, showed her disrespect and was unprofessional. I was wrong, I am sorry, and I take full responsibility.

A former mayor of Corning, New York, Reed is co-chair of the House of Representatives bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.

He voted against impeaching former President Donald Trump in January but voted in favor of certifying the 2020 election of Democrat Joe Biden.

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Republican Representative Tom Reed, accused of misconduct, will retire - BetaBoston

We finally have the coronavirus tamped down, with caseloads dropping and the momentum of the vaccinations on our side. The only thing that might derail this now is if we give the new variants enough oxygen to mount a comeback, as happened in the pandemic of 1918.

Thats what were seeing now in Europe, where cases are surging as the more contagious variants take root. None of these new variants interfere with the vaccine. But future variants might. The danger is that, like the Spanish flu, this novel virus could keep mutating.

It has the potential to wreak havoc again, yes, says Perry Halkitis, Dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health, who compared it to a super-strain of HIV for which many of our medications stopped working.

I think it is a race against time, Dr. Stephen Thomas, SUNY Upstate Medical Universitys chief of infectious disease, just told the New York Times. Every single person that we can get vaccinated or every single person that we can get a mask on is one less opportunity that a variant has.

That means getting the injection as soon as its available to you. This is a community effort; well only achieve the protection we all need if everybody gets the jab. The group posing the biggest challenge is Republican men: 49 percent say they would not be vaccinated, compared to 37 percent of Latinos and 25 percent of Black people.

African American hesitancy is born of a historic distrust, and documented abuses. But Republican men are even more hesitant due to hypermasculinity, Halkitis says a sense of invincibility that interferes with their health. For these guys, its sort of like this anti-authoritarian, screw-the-man emotional life that they live in, where they feel cast aside and put upon, that interferes with their rational decision-making.

They need to understand that they are sabotaging this whole effort. Think of somebody in your life who can get sick and die. Envision that person hooked up to a ventilator, as nurses rush from bed to bed. Picture shuttered businesses, as this virus continues to spread. If you want our economy to get off life support, do your part: Get the shot.

Halkitis thinks of his own father, an immigrant from Greece who died at age 57, because he distrusted doctors and feared seeking out treatment for the stomach pain that turned out to be cancer. I personally think that there should be an accountability and responsibility by the FCC for people spreading false information, he adds. We got all bent out of shape about Janet Jacksons boob on the Super Bowl, but we allow falsehoods to propagate in our society.

That former President Trump did finally advise his supporters to get vaccinated helps. I would recommend it to a lot of people that dont want to get it and a lot of those people voted for me, frankly, he said on Fox News this week. It wasnt helpful, of course, that Trump got his vaccine quietly before leaving the White House, or that Fox News world is still messaging to viewers that rejecting facts from vetted sources about vaccinations is just the mark of an independent thinker.

More than 95 percent of doctors who have been offered the vaccine have gotten it as soon as they can, which speaks volumes about its effectiveness and safety. They know that tens of thousands of people participated in vaccine trials last year, and decades of prior research went into its development. But Fox News talking head Tucker Carlson never mentions that.

The next time he does his quizzical squint and asks, how effective are these vaccines? Are they safe?, and then refuses to answer any of his own questions, remember this: His billionaire employer, Rupert Murdoch, got the Pfizer vaccine the moment it was available to him in December. Theres your answer, folks. And, while youre at it, wear your mask.

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The Republican National Committeetweeted a call to reopen schools amid the coronavirus pandemic, but the request for in-person education contained a devastating typo.

Or rather, a DEVESTATING one, as the RNC misspelled the word on the official GOP Twitter feed on Sunday. Although the tweet was deleted, images were passed around:

HuffPostGOP Tweet

The CDC last week released new guidelines that should make it easier for schools to reopen, including advice that students can now sit 3 feet apart in classrooms.

Neither the RNC nor its chair, Ronna McDaniel, addressed the typo. But critics on social media took them to school over it:

Experts are still learning about COVID-19. The information in this story is what was known or available as of publication, but guidance can change as scientists discover more about the virus. Pleasecheck the Centers for Disease Control and Preventionfor the most updated recommendations.

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Republican Party Taken To School After Posting Typo-Riddled Tweet About Education - HuffPost

Republican-dominated state legislatures around the country have responded to the cynical calls from Donald Trump for election reform with an array of proposals to restrict voting rights. They include limiting early-voting opportunities, constraining access to vote-by-mail and imposing more voter identification and other requirements to protect against what Mr. Trump falsely claimed to be a level of dishonesty that is not to be believed.

In Washington, congressional Democrats have rallied around H.R. 1, which has already passed in the House and would establish specific voting rules that states would be required to follow for federal elections, empowered by Congresss clear constitutional authority to make or alter state regulations governing the Times, Places and manner of holding such elections.

But as this legislation is pending, the Republican state legislative movement to burden the exercise of voting rights proceeds apace. Iowa has already done so, Georgia is poised to act shortly, and others may follow suit.

Congress should consider a targeted federal law to counter this march of these draconian state laws. And it could be designed in such a way that some Republicans would support it or find it uncomfortable to explain why they wouldnt.

This law would make clear that a state may not revise its rules to restrict voting access in federal elections in specified areas including the withdrawal of existing vote-by-mail opportunities and reductions in early voting unless it is done on a bipartisan basis.

A core objective of this legislation to protect the right to vote from partisan manipulation of the rules would be to enhance public perceptions of the fairness of the political process. With one political party unleashing a national movement to sharply limit access to the franchise, claiming contrary to fact that the presidential election it lost was corrupted by fraud, Congress is well justified in asserting its constitutional authority in federal elections and bringing a halt to it.

Nothing in this approach, targeted at the current wave of partisan state lawmaking initiatives, is inconsistent with passage of H.R. 1, which includes substantive reforms that, in addition to campaign finance and other reform measures, would strengthen voting rights and bolster election infrastructure security. And absent bipartisan support, the states should not be able to enact new restrictions on voting while Congress takes uniform federal rules in a more comprehensive package.

Critics may object that Congress cannot constitutionally commandeer the states to enact, or refrain from enacting, legislation of any kind. But the congressional power to make or alter state voting rules for federal elections is exactly what the Election Clause expressly authorizes. This power encompasses, as the Supreme Court has noted, registration, supervision of voting, protection of voters, prevention of fraud and corrupt practices, counting of votes, duties of inspectors and canvassers, and making and publication of election returns.

The states must follow the federal governments requirements for their conduct of elections for federal office, regardless of the choices they make for state and local contests, and they also bear the administrative responsibility and expense of doing so. Where the Supreme Court has applied the anti-commandeering doctrine, it has done so to stop Congress from conscripting the states into the enforcement of federal regulatory programs, as it has done in cases involving the Commerce Clause.

A bipartisanship requirement is a legitimate test of the validity of a state law affecting voting in federal elections. This is the rationale behind the requirements for politically balanced memberships that states have adopted for independent redistricting commissions. In applying a bipartisanship requirement to this proposed measure for restrictive state voting rules, Congress could, for example, provide that a state legislative rule change would have to have the support of at least a third to one-half of the second-largest party of the state legislature.

Why might or should such a law attract some Republican support? For one, after all the charges and countercharges of partisan machinations in the states in the 2020 elections, Republicans would have the opportunity to register support for bipartisan state action or to defend their opposition. Republicans may also be influenced by Republican state officials in charge of elections. For example, the Florida State Senate recently heard testimony about a proposed bill limiting the use of drop boxes and adding other limits on mail voting. Democratic and Republican supervisors of elections testified against the bill. State election law administrators among them many Republicans are very wary of these harshly restrictive measures, which complicate the voting process and, in creating the likelihood of, as one supervisor of elections said, long lines, chaos and confusion, are unpopular with Republican as well as Democratic voters.

Legislation along these lines is certain to be resisted by many Republicans and challenged in court. But Congress must defend its authority in federal elections and call out in clear terms the power play pursued by Republican state legislators. There is no reason to doubt that after the experience of 2020 and the events of Jan. 6, most Americans will respond well to a call for bipartisanship in how the states establish voting rights rules.

Bob Bauer, a former senior adviser to the Biden campaign, is a professor at New York University School of Law and a co-author of After Trump: Reconstructing the Presidency.

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Opinion | How to Counter the Republican Assault on Voting Rights - The New York Times