Legislators’ opposition is light. Here’s a look at three Senate races

Ask your Senator to support S. 1114 and S. 1124 for Clean Slate legislation because an old CORI should not mean a lifetime of blocked opportunities.

State legislative races are slightly more competitive this year. Emphasis on slightly.

Roughly 59% of the 200 House and Senate districts won’t have any competition, down from 65% in the 2024 cycle. This cycle’s number secures the state’s position as one of the least competitive in the country.

But there’s some light drama in several races, including among the incumbents who are facing challengers. The Sept. 1 primary will be determinative for some of them, as Democrats face off in districts without a Republican, or with nominal opposition, on the November ballot. And with so many voters taking advantage of vote-by-mail, it changes the calculus and the timeline.

Take several Senate races as an example. Daniel Lander, a senior aide to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, is mounting a challenge against Belmont’s William Brownsberger, a member of Senate President Karen Spilka’s leadership team who helped kill Wu’s tax shift.

Through May 26, Lander reported raising $146,000. Brownsberger still has over $300,000 in cash on hand.

In that race, the numbers could be in Brownsberger’s favor. Belmont is expected to go to him, while the portion of Boston in the district could see low turnout. Lander grew up in Cambridge, part of which is also in the district, and has pulled in the endorsements of two school committee members and three city councilors, including former mayor Marc McGovern. The race could come down to the results out of Watertown.

South Boston’s Nick Collins, who has also clashed with Wu, faces two opponents: Dorchester community activist Latoya Gayle and Juwan Skeens, who has run against Collins before. Gayle, who like Lander is getting help from Team Wu, has pulled in $48,000 and been outraised by Collins, who reports just under $100,000 in cash on hand as of the end of April.

Brownsberger, Collins and their opponents are set to appear at a June 9 forum at Berklee College of Music, put together by the Wards 4 and 5 Democratic Committees.

West Roxbury’s Michael Rush is looking to fend off a spirited challenge from his left in attorney Persis Yu, who has raised just over $114,000. It’s the first primary challenge since 2010 for Rush, who had just $78,600 on hand at the end of April.

Rush’s district has turned less conservative over the years, with West Roxbury slowly accumulating more liberal voters. But he has the benefit of having Wu, who won West Roxbury in the last mayoral race, on his side in this race, as well as Spilka’s support.

Yu is pressing Rush for three debates, noting there are less than 100 days left before the primary. But voting is set to get underway before that, and Sept. 1 matters less than before vote-by-mail took hold. This cycle, the ballots will be prepared, printed and shipped to cities and towns starting in mid to late July, and clerks will turn around and distribute them to voters.

Voting-by-mail has also made it more challenging to meet voters where they are via campaign mailers to their homes. June is early, and it doesn’t make much sense to send a campaign mailer around the July 4th holiday.

Get-out-of-the-vote efforts will likely turn out to be six or seven weeks of pushing mail-in ballots. 70% could end up voting early by mail, with 30% voting on Election Day, one Democratic consultant estimated.

What’s your take on the effect of mail-in ballots on races across Massachusetts? And which races are you keeping an eye on now that there’s a clearer sense of who is challenging whom? Send ‘em along: [email protected].

HAPPENING TODAY

8:30 | Interim MassDOT Secretary and MBTA General Manager Phil Eng gives the keynote address as Bridgewater State University hosts a Regional Transportation and Economic Development Conference marking the one-year anniversary of South Coast Rail. MBTA Board Chair Thomas McGee, Transportation Committee Co-chairs Rep. Jim Arciero and Sen. Brendan Crighton; and the mayors of New Bedford, Fall River, Taunton, and Brockton also participate. | Dana Mohler-Faria Science and Mathematics Center, 24 Park Ave., Bridgewater

8:30 | The Health Equity Compact holds its fourth annual Health Equity Trends Summit, featuring Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, House Speaker Ron Mariano, Sen. Cindy Friedman, Rep. John Lawn and Health and Human Services Undersecretary Amy Rosenthal. The event includes panels, speakers and networking. | UMass Boston Campus Center Ballroom, Boston | More Info

11:00 | Gov. Maura Healey joins Boston Public Radio's "Ask the Governor" segment. | GBH News | Livestream

1:15 | Gov. Maura Healey holds a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate improvements made to Foxboro Station, which will be pressed into service later this month as the MBTA plans to shuttle 20,000 fans to and from each of seven World Cup matches in Foxborough. Interim Transportation Secretary Phil Eng participates. | Foxboro Commuter Rail Station, Gillette Stadium near Lots 3 and 4, Foxborough

2:45 | The executive director of MassDOT’s Megaprojects Delivery Office, Luisa Paiewonsky addresses the business community at a free, hybrid event held by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. Paiewonsky will share insights into the development and delivery of the Cape Cod bridges overhaul and the Allston transportation project.. She will also join chamber President and CEO Jim Rooney for a fireside chat. | 265 Franklin Street, Suite 1701 Boston

5:30 | Boston Mayor Michelle Wu hosts the Mattapan coffee hour. | Mattahunt Community Center, 100 Hebron Street, Mattapan

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FROM BEACON HILL

‘WILD WEST’: Inspector General Jeffrey Shapiro found that the spending of county sheriffs in Massachusetts is akin to the “Wild West,” with lawmakers underfunding the offices and some sheriffs having funds in accounts that aren’t tracked by the state. – MassLive

ENERGY POLITICS: The Mass Save program has landed in the middle of the debate over energy costs in Massachusetts. Sen. Michael Barrett is defending it, calling it a “money saver, even though it requires patience.” – WBUR

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NEWS NEXT DOOR

BOSTON BUDGET DRAMA: Boston city councilors have raised the prospect of cutting $3 million from the police budget in order to avoid cuts to social justice programs. The move drew a rebuke from the Boston Police Patrolmen’s union. – Boston Herald

QUINCY PAY HIKES: Quincy city councilors, as they weigh repealing previously approved raises, are saying the controversial pay hikes could boost Mayor Tom Koch’s pension in retirement. – Patriot Ledger

BIZ CONFIDENCE: Business leaders continue to be pessimistic about the economy, but for the third straight month there has been an uptick towards optimism, according to the Associated Industries of Massachusetts. – Boston Business Journal

YOUTH JOBS: Employers have agreed to provide roughly 500 jobs for Boston students as part of an agreement reached with Mayor Michelle Wu. The agreement comes after a $5.5 million budget cut. – Boston Globe

How will Boston navigate federal policy challenges and economic woes in a time of political uncertainty? What are the challenges and opportunities facing Boston in 2026? Kicking off a blockbuster summer featuring the World Cup and America 250, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu joins MASSterList columnist Jon Keller for an in-person fireside chat at the MCLE Conference Center in Downtown Crossing. Register here.

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