Democrats maintain hold on Massachusetts’ Congressional delegation

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts Democrats maintained their hold on the state’s Congressional delegation Tuesday, with four incumbents fending off Republican and independent challengers and the remaining five coasting to two-year terms without opponents.

Republicans and independents have had a tough time winning seats in Congress in the heavily Democratic state. No Republican has been elected to the U.S. House in Massachusetts in nearly three decades.

The five Democrats who ran unopposed: Jake Auchincloss, Katherine Clark, Seth Moulton, Ayanna Pressley and Lori Trahan,

Democrat Richard Neal reelected in 1st Congressional District

Longtime Democrat U.S. Rep. Richard Neal won reelection, defeating independent Nadia Milleron.

Neal was first elected to Congress in 1988 to represent the 1st Congressional District, the state’s largest in the western and central regions. He’s the top Democrat on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.

Neal has said that his priorities include “fairer taxes, affordable and accessible health care, taking on climate change, preserving Social Security, and more.”

Milleron, the niece of consumer advocate Ralph Nader, said she was driven to run for Congress after her daughter’s 2019 death in the second Boeing 737 Max crash, in Ethiopia. Milleron pushed for passage of a 2020 law requiring the Federal Aviation Administration to change how it certifies new planes.

Democrat James McGovern reelected in 2nd Congressional District

Democrat James McGovern won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Massachusetts, fending off a challenge from independent Cornelius Shea.

McGovern, who was first elected to Congress in 1996, represents the state’s 2nd Congressional District including Worcester, the state’s second largest city.

Throughout his tenure in Congress, McGovern has cast himself as an advocate for human rights, including in China’s Tibet, campaign finance reform and social justice.

McGovern has also been a vigorous critic of the Republican Party under former President Donald Trump.

Shea, a 20-year Marine veteran, worked for AT&T before becoming a public school teacher in Worcester. In a campaign statement, he listed illegal immigration, drug overdoses, terrorism and health care costs as his top concerns.

Democrat Stephen Lynch reelected in 8th Congressional District

Democrat Stephen Lynch was reelected to the U.S. House seat he’s held for more than two decades, brushing back an effort by Republican Robert Burke to unseat him.

Lynch has held the state’s 8th Congressional District, which includes parts of Boston, since he was elected following the death of Rep. Joseph Moakley in 2001.

The former ironworker is a member of the Financial Services Committee and serves as the top Democrat on the Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Inclusion.

Burke, who describes himself as an amateur journalist and videographer, had said he was reaching out to independent, Democratic and Republican voters tired of what he called the “Kamala-Lynch open border.” In a campaign statement, he said state money spent on migrants should have gone “to help our kids, our roads, our schools, and our veterans.”

Democrat Bill Keating reelected in 9th Congressional District

Democrat Bill Keating won reelection to the U.S. House, overcoming a challenge from Republican Dan Sullivan.

Keating, who was first elected to the House in 2010, represents the state’s 9th Congressional District, which includes the state’s South Shore, South Coast, Cape Cod and the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.

Keating currently serves on the House Committees on Foreign Affairs and Armed Services.

Keating has pressed for federal funding to help replace the two bridges spanning the Cape Cod Canal. He’s also pushed legislation that would fund care for stranded turtles that wash up on Cape Cod and elsewhere.

Sullivan, a nurse, had said he could bring a fresh perspective to Washington, Sullivan said he supports prosecuting drug dealers while providing addicts with treatment programs. He also backs securing borders, enforcing immigration laws and prioritizing legal immigration for those with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics skills.