WCAC

 

 

Waltham voters head to the polls on Tuesday, September 1 for a state primary election to narrow down fields for Democratic and Republican candidates in the November 3 general election.

 

Some Democrats who represent Waltham at the State House (e.g., Rep. Tom Stanley [in photo above] and Sen. Mike Barrett) are running unopposed or will face prospective opponents with little chance of winning.

We’ve got a look at some of the competitive and noteworthy races.

GOP Primary for Governor

In the race for Massachusetts governor, incumbent Democrat Maura Healey faces no primary opponent.

But Republican voters can choose between two alternatives, both military veterans and businessmen: Mike Minogue (below left) and Brian Shortsleeve (below right). 

 

Minogue has poured more than $15 million of his fortune into his candidacy and is favored to win the GOP nomination over Shortsleeve.

 

But he has his work cut out for him against Healey (above), with recent polling showing her a 20-point favorite to win re-election in November. She was first elected in 2022. 

Markey Headed for Another Term?

Senator Ed Markey (below left) is facing a serious challenger in veteran and departing Congressman Seth Moulton (below right) in the Democratic primary for one of two Massachusetts seats in the U.S. Senate.

 

In July, polling showed Markey ahead by a small margin, but a more recent poll revealed the 80-year-old incumbent as a nearly 2 to 1 favorite. Additional polls have shown Markey continuing to pull away.

The winner of the senate Democratic primary is expected to defeat the sole Republican candidate John Deaton (above), a veteran and attorney who was defeated by Democratic incumbent Elizabeth Warren in the 2024 U.S. Senate race.

Lawn/Leary Rematch

One Massachusetts State House race could be close. Longtime 10th Middlesex State Representative John Lawn has a rematch with Newton city councilor Alison Leary in a Democratic primary. 

 

The district covers parts of Watertown, Newton and Waltham. The Waltham neighborhoods include parts of the South Side, Rangeley Acres and other neighborhoods north and south of Main Street and east of Lexington Street.

 

Lawn (above left) and Leary (above right) faced off back in 2020, when Lawn won the primary by roughly 5 percentage points. Both call themselves progressives.

Leary made headlines a while back for some debate remarks about her hometown of Nonantum. “They don’t want housing, they don’t want immigrants. Many of them are Republicans. They don’t share my values,” she said. She later apologized.

The Watertown incumbent has raised more than four times as much money (he also raised more money in their previous contest), but his challenger is well-positioned as a second-time candidate with motivated supporters. 

DA Race

The Democratic primary race for Middlesex County District Attorney involves two highly qualified law enforcement professionals with decades of experience in the county.

Incumbent Marian Ryan (below left), first appointed in 2013 and re-elected since, is facing a challenge from David Solet (below right), a veteran prosecutor who resigned as head of the Middlesex DA cold case unit last fall after being named the county’s top prosecutor. 

 

In addition to a Boston Globe endorsement, Solet has been endorsed by two Waltham Police unions and the Waltham firefighters’ union, as well as dozens of other public safety unions. 

But Ryan, the only female district attorney in the state, said she signed a pledge following the death of George Floyd not to accept endorsements from police unions to avoid conflicts of interest.

Both candidates have raised roughly the same amount of money heading into the primary.

Congressional Race

Massachusetts’ 5th Congressional District includes roughly two dozen communities west and north of Boston, including Waltham.

 

Congresswoman Katherine Clark, of Revere, is facing two challengers in a Democratic primary: former Waltham city councilor Jonathan Paz (above left) and Cambridge researcher Tarik Samman (above right).

The winner will likely win the seat in November, as there is no Republican on the ballot.

Paz, who was comfortably defeated by Jeannette McCarthy in the 2023 Waltham mayoral election, surprised many by deciding to run for such a high office against a popular incumbent.

 

Clark (above) first won the seat in 2013 by edging out another Waltham opponent, Middlesex Sheriff Peter Koutoujian, in a crowded Democratic primary to replace then-Rep. Ed Markey. 

She has risen through the ranks to become the second most powerful Democrat in Congress (and the most powerful woman) and enjoys a multi-million dollar fundraising advantage over both challengers.

 

Primary day is Tuesday, September 1. Polls will be open in Waltham from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Candidate website headshots