Mass. Election 2026: Live results 8th Congressional District
In a closely watched Democratic primary, attorney Patrick Roath is campaigning to unseat longtime U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch from his House seat representing Boston and communities south of the city.
Lynch, 71, of South Boston, has held the seat since 2001 and argues his experience is a valuable asset to the district. He points to his senior position on the powerful House Oversight Committee and the millions of dollars in earmarks he has secured for community centers, coastal flooding defenses and other public facilities back home.
Roath, 39, of Jamaica Plain, is among a wave of Democrats nationwide challenging entrenched incumbents with a message of generational change.
Since entering the race last year, he has argued Lynch is no longer the right fit for the district and that parts of his voting record, including support for a Republican-led immigration bill last year, put him out of touch with the views of his constituents.
Lynch is the third-longest-tenured member of the Massachusetts congressional delegation, after fellow House veterans Rep. Richard Neal, D-1st District, and Rep. Jim McGovern, D-2nd District, who hail from Western and Central Massachusetts, respectively.
Roath is a former aide to Gov. Deval Patrick, who endorsed this campaign. He has worked as a lawyer for the last decade and has also been an active voting rights advocate as chair of the board of Common Cause Massachusetts, the state arm of a national democracy and voting rights nonprofit.
Ahead of Tuesday, there was little clarity on which way the race might swing. Polling from the Roath camp suggests a close contest, though there were no independent polls released publicly.
A victory by Roath would be significant in a state dominated by incumbency, calling to mind Ayanna Pressley knocking off Rep. Mike Capuano in the 7th District primary eight years ago. The prospect of another longtime incumbent losing reelection has helped bring the race into the national media spotlight.
The winner will face Republican nominee Robert Burke, of Dedham, who ran uncontested in his party’s primary. Lynch has soundly defeated Burke twice already, in the general elections of 2022 and 2024.