Democratic incumbents in Massachusetts hope to defy primary push for generational change

A fierce primary fight from the left risks toppling an eighth House Democrat this cycle: Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.).   

Lynch, 71, is running for a 14th term in Massachusetts’s 8th Congressional District against 39-year-old lawyer Patrick Roath for the Boston-area seat on Tuesday. Roath has ripped Lynch over votes on immigration, healthcare and abortion, while the incumbent has pointed to his decades of experience and legislative accomplishments for the district.   

This House race, however, is not the only Massachusetts contest where an incumbent faces a fierce primary challenge. Rep. Richard Neal (D) and Sen. Ed Markey (D) are both facing off against younger challengers as the party grapples with an antiestablishment mood and widespread calls for generational change. 

“What’s telling is that you have seen some outside spending that has come in to support Roath,” explained Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ) chief elections analyst Geoffrey Skelley, adding “you don’t see that” for the primary challenger vying for Neal’s seat in the 1st District.

Roath, who served as an aide to former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D), has centered his campaign around generational change and voiced frustration over the congressman’s votes against former President Obama’s signature healthcare package in 2010 and for the Laken Riley Act.

“Our team has knocked tens of thousands of doors, and we’re feeling........

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