Massachusetts Primaries Test Direction of Democratic Party

The highest-profile race pits Democratic Rep. Mike Capuano — a 20-year incumbent who’s one of the most progressive members of Congress — against Boston city councilor Ayanna Pressley, a 44-year-old rising star who argues the party needs new voices to counter President Donald Trump.

It’s one of two major tests for Democratic incumbents this week, as Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware faces a challenge Thursday from progressive insurgent Kerri Evelyn Harris.

But it’s just one of a slate of contested primaries in Massachusetts on Tuesday. Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Republican Gov. Charlie Baker — both heavily favored to win re-election — will get their opponents.

Elections chief hit over voting laws

Secretary of state Bill Galvin — Massachusetts’ longest-serving statewide official, in office since 1995 — faces a Democratic primary challenge from Boston city councilor Josh Zakim.

The race has focused on Massachusetts’ voting laws: Galvin highlights changes that modernized the laws early in his tenure.

But those laws now lag Democrats’ preference nationally for same-day and automatic voter registration — which Zakim has pushed. Galvin has since endorsed those changes, too — but Zakim has cast him as being slow to do so.

Zakim has influential supporters, including Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and US Rep. Seth Moulton. Zakim also picked up the Massachusetts Democratic Party’s official endorsement.

Democratic House races

It’s not just Capuano: Several other House Democrats from Massachusetts face primary challengers Tuesday. And some of the challengers are echoing Pressley’s theme that the state’s all-white, mostly male congressional delegation would benefit from diversity.

In the Springfield-based 1st District, 30-year incumbent Rep. Richard Neal, who has highlighted his successes in landing funding for major infrastructure projects, faces attorney Tahirah Amatul-Wadud, who said in a recent debate that she represents “the face of the future” and who would become one of the only Muslims in Congress.

The 3rd District, a diverse region with a blue-collar core in Lowell, will get a new representative — almost certainly a Democrat — as Rep. Niki Tsongas retires. Ten Democrats are running for the seat.

Video game developer Brianna Wu is basing her 8th District challenge against Rep. Stephen Lynch — who voted against Obamacare in 2009 — on the claim that, in the GamerGate controversy that highlighted online misogyny, she fought the alt-right and won. Air Force veteran Christopher Voehl is also running for the seat.

Massachusetts’ congressional delegation is entirely Democratic, and Republican opponents will be long shots in the general election for every seat. That makes the primaries that the Democratic incumbents face Tuesday the toughest challenges they’re likely to encounter this year.

Warren, Baker get challengers

The Republican primary to take on Warren — who is making moves toward a 2020 Democratic presidential run while coasting toward re-election — has three candidates, each of whom has spent heavily on the race: state Rep. Geoff Diehl, former Mitt Romney aide Beth Lindstrom and businessman John Kingston.

Polls have found that Baker is the most popular governor in the country. He faces the winner of the Democratic primary between former Gov. Deval Patrick budget chief Jay Gonzalez and environmental activist Bob Massie.