Massachusetts’ 8th District House Race: Who Will Win?

Massachusetts voters headed to the polls Tuesday in a primary highlighted by a competitive Democratic Senate contest between incumbent Sen. Ed Markey, 80, and U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, 47. The race reverses a familiar dynamic in this year's Democratic primaries, with progressives Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez backing the incumbent over the more moderate challenger. Markey held a large fundraising advantage and led recent polls by double digits; Moulton, a Marine veteran and 2020 presidential candidate, drew support from The Boston Globe's editorial board, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, and VoteVets. Moulton has also faced scrutiny over past comments on transgender athletes, which he has since apologized for. The primary winner will face Republican John Deaton in November.

Similar generational clashes played out down-ballot: progressive attorney Patrick Roath, who has spent more than $1 million on his campaign, challenged longtime Rep. Stephen Lynch in the 8th District, while a crowded six-way Democratic field, including Dan Koh and Tram Nguyen, competed to succeed Moulton in the 6th District. Other notable races include a Republican gubernatorial primary between Mike Minogue and Brian Shortsleeve, and contested district attorney races in Norfolk and Suffolk counties. Given the state's heavy Democratic lean, primary winners are strongly favored in November, with results shaping the competitive landscape ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Massachusetts officials are pursuing state-level artificial intelligence regulation even as they try to position the state as an AI industry hub. U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, who co-sponsors the federal FRONTIER Act with Rep. Jay Obernolte, said the bill is stalled while Congress is in recess, prompting state lawmakers to act on their own. State Sen. Barry Finegold is backing legislation targeting transparency requirements for "frontier AI labs" like OpenAI, Google and Meta, while Gov. Maura Healey wants AI safety provisions included in the state's Mass Wins economic development bill.

Both Trahan and Finegold argue that regulation and economic growth are not mutually exclusive, and cite growing public anxiety over AI safety, including departures of safety researchers from firms like OpenAI and Anthropic. Trahan and Healey say federal action is preferable but unlikely soon, especially with President Donald Trump dismissing AI oversight efforts as a "conspiracy" and opposing calls from industry figures for stronger government regulation.

Lamar Cook, 46, a former deputy director of Gov. Maura Healey's western Massachusetts office who was fired in November 2025 after being arrested on cocaine and gun charges, now faces federal charges for SNAP and wire fraud. U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Leah Foley announced the charges, and Cook was scheduled to appear in Boston court.

Prosecutors allege that in April 2026 Cook applied for SNAP benefits claiming zero income and a household limited to himself and a minor child, failing to disclose that his fiancée and his mother lived with him, that his fiancée earned more than $80,000 annually, and that he had nearly $9,000 in the bank. His mother had also recently won about $1 million in the Massachusetts Lottery and allegedly sent him roughly $12,000 via Zelle. Cook received about $546 monthly in SNAP benefits, allegedly spending them at retail stores and during a July trip to Florida. Separately, the state mistakenly paid Cook roughly $22,000 for accrued vacation time after his firing and could not recover the funds.

Cook faces up to five years in prison for SNAP fraud and up to 20 for wire fraud. Healey, running for re-election, said she was glad federal authorities acted; her opponent Mike Minogue has seized on the case politically.

The Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, the Boston nonprofit that owns the Kennedy family's Hyannis Port compound, is facing renewed attention over its leadership churn following backlash to a private birthday party it hosted at the property for former Tyco International executive Dennis Kozlowski. Since its 2009 founding to honor Senator Ted Kennedy's legacy of bipartisanship, the institute has cycled through nine presidents or executive directors and six board chairs. Its most recent CEO, Adam Hinds, departed at the end of last year alongside board chair Bruce Percelay, prompting chief advancement officer Joe Hale to step in as interim leader. In April, Joe Kennedy III joined as board co-chair alongside newly recruited Patrick Dorton.

Vicki Kennedy, Ted Kennedy's widow and the institute's cofounder, has pushed back on characterizations of dysfunction, describing the changes as "evolving" rather than "revolving" to match the nonprofit's growth. The institute reports operating in the black for three consecutive years and is conducting a national search for a permanent CEO while updating its strategic plan.

New Hampshire held primary elections Tuesday to pick nominees for Congress, governor and the state Legislature, with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen's retirement reshaping the ballot. Rep. Chris Pappas led a five-way Democratic Senate field that included progressive challenger Karishma Manzur, a research scientist and democratic socialist whose late surge, fueled by criticism of Pappas' pro-Israel donor support and his "present" vote on restricting arms sales to Israel, narrowed his once-commanding lead despite his large fundraising advantage and Shaheen's endorsement. On the Republican side, John Sununu, endorsed by President Trump over rival Scott Brown, held a wide edge among eight candidates; both Sununu and Brown are former senators previously defeated by Shaheen. The seat is one of a handful nationally that could help decide Senate control, with Democrats needing a net gain of four seats.

Pappas' departure from the 1st District opened a crowded race, with Stefany Shaheen (Jeanne Shaheen's daughter) and Maura Sullivan leading a nine-person Democratic field; Republicans chose among five candidates including Trump-endorsed businessman Anthony DiLorenzo and repeat candidate Hollie Noveletsky. In the 2nd District, Democratic Rep. Maggie Goodlander faced a primary challenge from state legislator Paige Beauchemin, while Republicans chose from candidates including repeat nominee Lily Tang Williams. Gov. Kelly Ayotte easily advanced toward a second term against two Republican rivals, favored against unopposed Democrat Cinde Warmington. Winners have eight weeks to campaign before the November 3 general election, as New Hampshire shifts future primaries to June starting in 2026.

Dr. Mariah Lancaster has withdrawn from the Democratic primary for Massachusetts' open 6th Congressional District and endorsed fellow candidate State Rep. Tram Nguyen. Lancaster, a veterinarian who has also worked at the U.S. State Department and in the U.S. House, announced the decision Saturday on social media, praising Nguyen's "work ethic, backbone, and integrity" and calling her prepared to be a "progressive champion" for the district.

The seat opened after Rep. Seth Moulton said he would challenge Sen. Edward Markey in the 2026 Democratic Senate primary. With Lancaster out, five Democrats remain in the 6th District race. Nguyen has also picked up endorsements from Reps. Ayanna Pressley and Lori Trahan, adding momentum as the field narrows ahead of the primary.

Massachusetts primary voters largely stuck with incumbents while setting up several marquee fall races. Republican Mike Minogue, the former Abiomed executive who self-funded his campaign with roughly $15 million, defeated Brian Shortsleeve by a wide margin to earn the right to challenge Gov. Maura Healey, who ran unopposed. In the U.S. Senate primary, Ed Markey beat back a challenge from Rep. Seth Moulton by a nearly two-to-one margin, adding Moulton to a list of younger rivals, including former Rep. Joe Kennedy III, that Markey has turned aside in recent cycles.

Dan Koh won the crowded Democratic primary for Moulton's open House seat after a previous unsuccessful bid in 2018. All five incumbent U.S. House members facing primary challengers won, though Rep. Richard Neal saw an unexpectedly close race against a first-time candidate. The Norfolk County district attorney's race remains uncalled, with Djuna Elizabeth Perkins holding a narrow lead. On Beacon Hill, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu backed challengers against two state senators who had opposed her property tax proposal.

A new report from real estate data firm NestCash finds Hampden County ranks second among Massachusetts counties for foreclosure risk, with Springfield a particular hotspot: 109 foreclosure petitions were filed there from July to December 2025, more than triple the statewide rate. Dukes County, driven by seasonal vacation properties, ranks first. Hampden's mortgage delinquency rate and unemployment rate (5.6%) are also among the state's highest. Springfield's housing director says rates remain low by national standards and are not comparable to the 2008 crash, since homeowners today generally retain equity. The city also has the state's highest eviction filing rate, which officials link to low median household income.