This week, many Democratic voters are laser-focused on their party’s national convention in Chicago. But while the party’s nomination of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz is a foregone conclusion, local Democrats in the Boston area face competitive races in the often-overlooked state primary, which this year takes place Sept. 3.
Coming the day after the cookouts of the Labor Day holiday, the primary may catch some voters flat-footed.
But for most Massachusetts candidates facing opponents in the same party, races are decided in the primary. Balloting is already underway in Boston, with mail-in ballots arriving in the mailboxes of voters who requested them and early in-person voting beginning this Saturday, Sept. 24. Visit the city’s Election Department website for locations. Here are some contests to watch.
County races
Suffolk County register of probate and clerk of court races often fly under the radar. But this year, several such offices are contested and political activists are paying attention.
“These offices do important work,” said Jonathan Cohn, policy director for Progressive Massachusetts. “They don’t get covered in the media year in and year out. But they have an incredible impact on the criminal legal system.”
An open seat for the office of the clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court has sparked the greatest interest, with at-large Boston City Councilor Erin Murphy — a former school teacher — reporting $93,477 in contributions as of July 30 in her bid for the seat, and public defender Allison Cartwright — who is manager of the Public Defenders Central region — reporting $93,949 in contributions as of Aug. 15.
The outcome of the countywide race will likely be influenced by the amount of advertising each campaign is able to muster. Citywide and countywide races typically rely heavily on glossy mailers sent to voters’ homes in order to introduce candidates.
In the race for Superior Court clerk-magistrate for civil business, Faustina Kathy Gabriel, a longtime former worker in the Superior Court clerk’s office, is taking on acting Clerk of Civil Courts Jonathan Powers, an attorney who has held the clerk position for 18 months. Gabriel has raised $6,600 since she opened her campaign account in April. Powers has raised $134,427 over the last year and a half.
Running for Governor’s Council 4th District, social activist Stacey Borden, a formerly incarcerated woman who runs a re-entry programs for women leaving prison, is challenging Christopher Iannella, an attorney who has held the seat since 1993. Also challenging Iannella is Ronald Primo Iacobucci, executive director of the city of Quincy’s Workforce Development Department. With 31 years of incumbency, it’s not surprising that Iannella’s $105,163 war chest dwarfs that of his competitors. Borden has raised $50,784 since opening a campaign account in June of last year. Iacobucci trails with $12,785 raised.
Running unopposed for county offices are Clerk of Superior Court for Criminal Business Maura Hennigan, Register of Deeds Stephen Murphy and Register of Probate Stephanie Everett.
Legislative races
Three-quarters of Massachusetts lawmakers are running unopposed — earning the state the reputation as one of the least competitive for legislative races in the country. Just two members of the Boston delegation are facing opponents this year — First Suffolk District Sen. Nick Collins and Sixth Suffolk District Rep. Russell Holmes.
Collins, who’s held his seat since 2018, is facing a challenge from community organizer Juwan Skeens.
Collins has raised more than $106,000 this year. Skeens has raised $1,378. The contrast between the two underscores one of the difficulties challengers face in unseating incumbents. Campaigns cost money — mailers, office space, paid staff, professionally compiled lists of active voters — with the components of a successful campaign typically running a candidate’s costs into the thousands of dollars each month. Raising such funds is easier for an incumbent who has built social capital and relationships with funders than it is for first-time candidates.
Holmes faces a repeat challenge from businessman Haris Hardaway, who garnered 24.3% of the vote in 2022 and from Samuel Pierce, who ran against Collins for the First Suffolk District seat in 2020, earning 25.8% of the vote.
Holmes, who logged a $63,146 balance in his campaign account for the July reporting period, says he’s taking his challengers seriously. More importantly, he says, incumbents need to show up with respectable vote totals.
“It matters, because politically, people pay attention to that,” he said. “It shows you’re supported by your constituents.”
Hardaway’s campaign shows $10,788 in receipts this year, but curiously lists just one contributor — Woburn-based Global Healthcare Services LLC. Individuals are prohibited from contributing more than $1,000 a year to candidates under Massachusetts Laws. Businesses, including limited liability corporations, are not allowed to make contributions at all. Candidates are further required to itemize all receipts in their monthly contribution reports.
Pierce has reported no contributions this year.
Several prospective candidates who pulled papers for a run are not appearing on the primary ballot, indicating they may not have turned in enough valid signatures to qualify.
Seventh Suffolk District Rep. Chynah Tyler will be running unopposed in this year’s primary.
