Massachusetts primary is on Sept. 1. Here’s what to look for

Massachusetts’s primary election, with several important races up and down the ballot, is less than a week away.

The Sept. 1 primary ballot will see contested battles for U.S. Senate and House, governor, state senators and representatives, and district attorneys, along with others, depending on your party and district.

Here’s what voters need to know.

US Senate battle between Markey and Moulton

Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., is challenging incumbent Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., in the 2026 Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.

In the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, six-term Rep. Seth Moulton, who represents the northeast part of the state, is taking on incumbent Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass, who is seeking his third full term in the Senate. The race has centered around age versus experience: Moulton is 47, while Markey is 80.

The winner will face Republican John Deaton, who is unopposed in the Republican primary. But in deep blue Massachusetts, the winner of the Democratic primary is heavily favored in the general election. Deaton last ran for Senate against Sen. Elizabeth Warren in 2024, when he lost.

Challengers stress generational change in contested primaries for U.S. House

Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., left, and Patrick Roath participate in an 8th Congressional District Democratic primary forum at Chapman Middle School in Weymouth on Aug. 13.

All of Massachusetts nine House seats are considered safe Democratic seats. But the current representatives face more primary challenges than usual this year, with many revolving around generational change.

Here are the contested Democratic primaries:

1st Congressional District: Incumbent Richard Neal, 77, vs. Jeromie Whalen, 39, a teacher. This district covers the western and some central parts of the state, including the city of Springfield.

4th Congressional District: Incumbent Jake Auchincloss, 38, vs. Jason Poulos, 40, an AI researcher. This district goes from communities right outside Boston, like Newton and Brookline, down to the Rhode Island border and Fall River.

5th Congressional District: Incumbent House minority whip Katherine Clark, 63, vs. Tarik Samman, a 27-year-old union organizer and Harvard Law School researcher, and Jonathan Paz, a 33-year-old former Waltham city councilor and immigrant rights organizer. This district includes suburbs north and west of Boston, including parts of Cambridge.

6th Congressional District: Six Democrats are vying for the seat vacated by Rep. Seth Moulton, who is running for Senate. They are software engineer Bethany Andres-Beck, 42, businessman John Beccia, 56, Topsfield Town Moderator Jamie Belsito, 52, former White House official Dan Koh, 41, former federal worker Mariah Lancaster, 36, and state Rep. Tram Nguyen, D-Andover, 40. This district encompasses the Northeast part of the state.

8th Congressional District: Incumbent Stephen Lynch, 71, vs. Patrick Roath, a 39-year-old lawyer and former aide to former Gov. Deval Patrick. This district includes parts of Boston, its suburbs and southeast Massachusetts.

9th Congressional District: Incumbent Bill Keating, 73, vs. Craig Swallow, a 40-year-old consultant. This district encompasses Cape Cod and the Islands and parts of the South Shore.

There are no contested Republican primaries for U.S. House.

Who will take on Gov. Healey?

Governor Maura Healey greets fans on Opening Day March 27 at Polar Park.

Democratic Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey is uncontested in the Democratic primary. But she will face a general election challenge from one of two Republicans vying for the nomination.

The candidates in the Republican primary are Michael Minogue, former CEO of a medical device company, and Brian Shortsleeve, former MBTA chief administrator. The two are fairly similar: they are both military veterans turned businessmen who support cutting taxes and immigration enforcement. However, Minogue does not support abortion rights, while Shortsleeve does. Minogue also leads handily in fundraising, with $8.1 million on hand compared to Shortsleeve’s $527,000.

State House shakeups

Massachusetts State House, Ashburton Park entrance

Slightly more state lawmakers are being challenged this year than last.

Four Senate and 20 House incumbents face a primary challenger, and 15 seats are open.

The Massachusetts State House has a Democratic supermajority, and most of the primary challenges are on the Democratic side.

You can see if your state lawmaker is being challenged using our maps.

Hot district attorney race

Norfolk County District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey held a press conference at Dover Police Headquarters, Dec. 29, 2023. A married couple and their teenage daughter were all found dead inside their residence at 8 Wilsons Way Thursday night in an apparent incident of domestic violence.

A few district attorney primary races in Massachusetts are contested, but it’s the Norfolk race that’s garnered the most attention after Michael Morrissey, who has been the DA for 15 years and presided over controversial cases like the Karen Read trial, decided not to run again.

Seven Democrats are vying to take his spot. They include Jim Barakat, Gregory Connor, Adam Deitch, Robert Louis Jubinville, Macy Lee, Craig MacLellan and Djuna Elizabeth Perkins.