Goodnight! Thanks for following along with GBH News’ live coverage.
Check back in the morning for our reporters’ expert breakdowns of what we saw across the commonwealth, as challenger after challenger failed to oust Democrats.
And, of course, keep checking back on our elections page in the run-up to the general. We’ll have everything you need to know about the ballot questions and competitive races on your ballot in November.
’Til next time!
Following a contentious battle, Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden has won the Democratic primary, according to the Associated Press.
Hayden was up against Linda Champion, an attorney backed by the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association who ran for the seat in 2018; as well as Rachael Rollins, the county’s former district attorney who resigned under the shadow of ethical violations when she was the U.S. attorney for Massachusetts — the commonwealth’s top prosecutor — in 2023.
The Associated Press called the race at 11:52 p.m., with 51% of the votes counted. At that time, 51% of the votes had gone to Hayden, with 27% for Champion and 23% for Rollins.
Rep. Stephen Lynch, who represents parts of Boston in the U.S. House of Representatives, will move on to the general election, the Associated Press projects.
Lynch had 57% of the vote to rival Patrick Roath’s 43% as of 11:40 p.m., with 76% of the votes counted, according to the AP.
Roath is an attorney, a former aide to Gov. Deval Patrick and past board chair of Common Cause Massachusetts.
As Roath sees it, America’s current political moment demands an urgency that the 25-year incumbent Lynch isn’t demonstrating.
Lynch countered that, for blue-collar voters anxious about the high cost of living, his personal story resonates with their concerns in a way that Roath’s does not.
“I remind them — especially, you know, in the housing developments in Brockton and Quincy and South Boston — you know, I grew up in public housing,” Lynch said. “My family was poor, and having a roof over my head was not a given. We were in a tough situation, my five sisters, my mom and dad. If we didn’t have affordable housing, public housing, we would have been homeless. And so I know what that feels like when, you know, having a roof over your head is not secure.”
“What I try to convey is that, you know, I have not only their best interest at heart, but I’ve also lived their lives and their experiences,” he added. “And that is rare in Congress! That is rare!”
U.S. Rep. Richard Neal will advance to the general election, the Associated Press projects.
With 75% of the vote reported at 11:19 p.m., Neal was leading with 55% of the vote compared to rival Jeromie Whalen’s 45%.
Neal, who has represented Western Massachusetts since he was first elected in 1988, will meet two independent challengers in November. There is no Republican in the race.
Pitching himself in a statement to GBH News, Neal said, “I’ve taken on Donald Trump and won, fought to lower costs and protect Social Security, and delivered more than $1.5 billion in federal funding for our communities.”
Whalen, a 39-year-old high school teacher, cast Neal as a case study in the corrosive effects of money in politics on the campaign trail.
Kevin Hayden has declared himself the winner of the Democratic primary.
While the Associated Press had not yet called the race as of 11 p.m., with 29% of the votes counted, 52% of the votes had gone to Hayden, while 26% had gone to Linda Champion and 22% to Rachael Rollins.
Champion is an attorney backed by the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association who ran for the seat in 2018. Rollins is the county’s former district attorney who resigned under the shadow of ethical violations when she was the U.S. attorney for Massachusetts — the commonwealth’s top prosecutor — in 2023.
Hayden walked into his watch party at Stockyard Restaurant in Brighton and declared victory just before 10 p.m.
“What the voters said is that they want four more years of results, strategies and concepts that deliver real results,” Hayden said to a room of cheering supporters. “Real results like historically low crime rates.
”Real results where we are unapologetically and constantly and unwaveringly supporting victims and witnesses, survivors and communities that are impacted by crime and violent crime in particular,“ he added.
Dan Koh will advance to the general election after knocking out several other opponents hoping to represent Massachusetts’ 6th Congressional District. The seat in the northeastern corner of the state was up for grabs after Rep. Seth Moulton challenged Sen. Ed Markey in the U.S. Senate.
Koh’s campaign had the most money and the backing of some of the country’s best-known Democrats. The former advisor to President Joe Biden and former chief of staff to then-Boston Mayor Marty Walsh was asked by GBH News to synopsize his pitch to voters ahead of election day.
“Right now we are in a unique moment where we have a president who’s destroying our democracy, seems to get worse every day, and after the midterms we’re going to have at least two more years of this man. So I think in this unique moment, we need someone who’s a fighter with experience at all levels of government to take on this president on Day 1, stop his destruction of democracy and lower costs for people.”
Koh will face Republican challenger Micah Quinney Jones in November.
The Associated Press called the race at 10:27 p.m. Tuesday night.
Rep. Bill Keating heads to the general election after facing a challenge from Craig Swallow.
“Clearly, people deserve better than what they’re getting, and I’m in a position to make things better,” Keating told GBH News last month. “Because I know how to work with appropriations, when we have this leverage, I’ll know how to get this legislation through and marbled into legislation that’s moving forward.”
Keating has also touted his ability to deliver for his district, saying he played a key role in securing more than $2 billion in funding for the new Sagamore Bridge and in fending off tariffs that could have damaged Massachusetts’ cranberry industry, thanks to his ability to work with the European Union.
He also cited his dozen years as Norfolk district attorney, citing his experience defending the civil rights of both legal and undocumented immigrants.
Keating will now face Republican challenger R. Tyler MacAllister in November.
The Associated Press called this race at 9:50 p.m. Tuesday night.
Minority Whip Katherine Clark and U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss will both advance to the general, fending off primary challengers, the Associated Press projects.
Two Democrats — Jonathan Paz and Tarik Samman — were challenging Clark for her seat.
Jason Poulos, an artificial intelligence and health policy researcher, attempted to unseat Auchincloss.
Gov. Maura Healey speaks to crowd of about 150 supporters just before 9 p.m. Earlier, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll roused the crowd by calling Republican opponent Mike Minogue “MAGA Mike” and saying he's “trying to buy this election.”
Mike Minogue, the Army veteran turned CEO, will be the Massachusetts Republican Party’s nominee for governor, the Associated Press projected at 8:44 p.m.
He beat out Brian Shortsleeve, who helped oversee the MBTA under former Gov. Charlie Baker.
Minogue will face Gov. Maura Healey on the ballot in November. Healey ran unopposed for the Democratic Party’s nomination.
Sen. Ed Markey will move on to the November ballot, the Associated Press projected at 8:31 p.m. Tuesday night. He was facing a challenge from Rep. Seth Moulton.
The incumbent senator will face Republican John Deaton in November.
Dozens of supporters for Rep. Seth Moulton’s challenge to Sen. Ed Markey are filling up a union hall in Dorchester.
The mood is a little subdued: A TV livestream beamed on the wall is showing Markey with a wide lead in very early results.
Backers, many of them sipping bottles of beer and snacking on sandwiches, say they want a new face and young blood representing the state in the U.S. Senate.
Minutes after the polls closed, only a few supporters for District Attorney Kevin Hayden were at Stockyard Restaurant in Brighton.
One of those supporters is Gerry D'Ambrosio, an attorney who has known Hayden for decades.
“He's shown that even in these difficult times, he can run a very professional office that on the one hand is looking out for victims, but at the same time has his ear to the ground and is understanding of the human condition and cares about recidivism,” D'Ambrosio said.
Hayden is looking to win his second full term as Suffolk County District Attorney, and faces two challengers: Rachael Rollins and Linda Champion.
The Associated Press has called several races where the candidates were running unopposed.
Gov. Maura Healey has secured the Democratic nomination for governor, the first hurdle on her way to a second term. She’ll meet a Republican on the ballot — either Mike Minogue or Brian Shortsleeve.
Several U.S. House representatives are sailing to the November ballot too: Reps. Jim McGovern, Lori Trahan and Ayanna Pressley.
Republicans running for the U.S. House are all running unopposed, too, and were all but guaranteed to make it to the general election.
Other federal representatives are facing challenges from with the Democratic Party.
Stay tuned as results trickle in.
The last votes are being cast on this dreary primary day in Massachusetts.
As the clock strikes 8:01 p.m., we’re expecting immediate race calls from the Associated Press to make the “unopposed” contests — such as for John Deaton, the only Republican running for Senate; and Gov. Maura Healey, the only Democrat running for the party’s nod for governor.
Keep an eye on our results page for race calls from the Associated Press.
At the Healey-Driscoll watch party in Dorchester, supporters are trickling in and picking up campaign swag.
Paulette Lawrence from Dorchester is a hospital worker and Healey supporter who said she came to show her support — even though she was tired after work.
“These are serious times,” she said. “I feel like I want to show my face. I want people to join in.”
The doors have opened at the Mike Minogue’s primary night party in Medford, and the crowds have been filing in. Minogue is the frontrunner for the Republican Party’s gubernatorial nomination.
The Army veteran–turned–tech CEO says that he is the better choice to lead Beacon Hill.
He’s facing off against Republican Brian Shortsleeve in the primary and, if he wins tonight, Minogue will meet Gov. Maura Healey on the ballot in November.
As voters braved the rain to cast their ballots Tuesday afternoon, they offered different views of the two candidates in the Democratic primary for U.S. senator.
Outside the polling place at the John F. Kennedy School in Somerville, Michael Wagner said he voted for U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton over incumbent Sen. Ed Markey. Wagner said he’s in an “anti-incumbent” mood and Markey has been senator long enough.
“There a comes a point in a public servant’s life where they ought to hand over the torch,” Wagner said. “He has served us well and it’s time to clear the deck for someone else.”
For David Fichter in Cambridge, however, Markey was the only acceptable option. Fichter described himself as a progressive and said he wasn’t sure what Moulton stands for.
“As far as I can tell from what Moulton has presented, he’s just more of what they call a moderate Democrat,” Fichter said outside the Cambridge City Hall polling place. “We don’t want more of that. That’s why we have Trump [as president].”
Whoever wins the Democratic primary for senator will face Republican John Deaton in the general election.
Are you celebrating Allston Christmas traditionally? (Translation: Moving on Sept. 1?)
Sept. 1 lease cycles account for over two-thirds of apartments in the Boston area — and tens of thousands of renters. For many renters, that means voting could fall by the wayside.
“A voter who moves shortly before an election may have a lot to manage, and updating that voter registration can easily fall through the cracks,” said Geoff Foster, executive director of the nonprofit watchdog Common Cause Massachusetts.
Having a lease that starts on primary day isn’t enough to prove residency. Voter registration closes 10 days before Election Day, so renters on a Sept. 1 lease in a new home will not have time to update their addresses to vote from their new home.
That means that anyone moving within the state of Massachusetts should be voting at their “old” address, while anyone moving in from out-of-state is ineligible to vote in the primary, according to the secretary of state’s office. They may be eligible to vote in their old state, depending on that state’s policies.
Hear from GBH News’ Renuka Balakrishnan about what voters on the move should do.
Outside the polling place at Cambridge City Hall Tuesday, Anne Jeka said the cost of living is her top concern at the ballot box. Last year, she had to leave her Cambridge apartment after 35 years because the rent kept increasing.
“It was traumatic,” Jeka said. “I’m not alone here at all in Cambridge and beyond. Most of the country has problems with affordability.”
Jeka said she’s supporting candidates who align with her progressive values and who she believes will push back against the Trump administration. She cast her vote for incumbent U.S. Sen. Ed Markey in the hotly contested Democratic primary against Rep. Seth Moulton.
Workers at voting places in Boston and Cambridge say turnout so far has been relatively slow on a rainy primary day.
Nearly 11% of registered voters had already cast their ballots before Tuesday, by mail or by showing up early to vote in person, according to the secretary of state’s office.
Pjilippa McDonald, a Back Bay resident, cast her vote at a polling place in Fenway just after 10 a.m.
Originally from England, she got dual citizenship in 2008.
Asked what it’s like being a dual citizen in the current political climate, she replied: “England is not much improved than the mess that we were in.”
“I love this country. I’m very hopeful for it,” she added. “I think that the generations coming up beneath us, we should be hopeful about. I think they’ve got a lot to face, and ... I’d like to see age not discredited. I think we’re all important at this point. Everybody needs to be on the boat.”
McDonald said she voted Democrat, but asked if there were any particular candidates she was enthusiastic about, she said, “Not really.”
“I’m interested in what happens to the city, what happens to electricity, what happens to affordable housing, and who represents us,” she said. “So I’m just exercising my right to vote.”
If it seems like the same people are running over and over again on Beacon Hill, it’s because they are. House Speaker Ron Mariano, a Quincy Democrat, has been in his seat for 35 years. He won a special election in 1991, joining freshman lawmakers like Reps. Antonio Cabral and William C. Galvin. They’re all still in their seats.
Year after year, there’s little competition for seats in the state Legislature. This year is no exception. Just 25 incumbents — 14% of those running for reelection — are facing primary challengers. About a quarter will face an opponent in the general election.
With strong Democratic Party power and low-turnout primaries, experts say there’s little incentive to run new candidates. They argue that hurts the democratic process down the road if lawmakers don’t feel a need to be transparent or accountable to their constituents in order to keep their seats.
Get the full breakdown from GBH News’ Amanda Keane.
And, to find out who’s running to represent you, check your address in the state’s website.
Even if you don’t pay close attention to Massachusetts politics, you probably know that Rep. Seth Moulton is challenging incumbent U.S. Sen. Ed Markey in a hotly contested Democratic primary.
But even if you do follow politics closely, you might not be aware that House Minority Whip Katherine Clark and U.S. Reps. Jake Auchincloss, Bill Keating, Richard Neal and Stephen Lynch are all facing challengers, too.
That’s a stark contrast to 2024, when no members of Massachusetts’ all-Democratic House delegation had to weather primary contests.
GBH News put together a brief primer to get you caught up on the Democratic challengers in the 2026 cycle — both because you should know who’s on your ballot, and because, taken collectively, these challengers’ campaigns offer some insights into the internal dissatisfaction currently roiling the Democratic Party.
Not sure who your representative is? Use this federal lookup tool to check your district and see who represents you in the U.S. House of Representatives.
For voters who got their mail-in ballot but haven’t sent it in yet, Secretary of the Commonwealth Bill Galvin says: Put mail-in ballots in a local ballot drop box, and as a last resort, vote in person on primary day.
“All ballots have to be in the possession of local election officials by 8 o’clock on Tuesday night,” Galvin reminded reporters at a press conference last week.
Voters can use this webpage from Galvin’s office to find a drop box in their city or town.
Good morning, Massachusetts voters! It’s the primary. Do you know where you’re voting?
Polls will open at 7 a.m.
You could have plenty on your ballot today — from the major Democratic primary for a U.S. Senate seat between Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Seth Moulton, to your local state House and state Senate races. And remember, if you’re not enrolled in either party, you have the option to pick up a Republican or Democratic ballot.
Nearly 11% of voters had already cast their ballots come primary day, through mail-in ballots and in-person early voting.
Here’s GBH News’ rundown of when, where and how to vote.
