Paulino out, Rush behind in Beacon Hill contests

If you called it an early night and went to bed not long after the Associated Press’ 8:31 p.m. race call for Sen. Ed Markey, you’d still have a pretty good sense of how most of Massachusetts’ Democratic primaries shook out. At least the ones where a winner is clear.

Incumbents ruled the day across contests for Congress, district attorney and Governor’s Council. But it wasn’t a clean sweep on Beacon Hill. 

Rep. Francisco Paulino, a Methuen Democrat, now holds two inauspicious distinctions — the second Merrimack Valley official charged last month with pandemic loan fraud, and the only member of the Massachusetts House shown the door so far by primary voters. Lawrence City Councilor Celina Reyes, buoyed by a wide margin in her home city, pushed Paulino out.

In the state Senate, vote totals available Wednesday morning suggest at least one Boston-area upset. Hyde Park Democrat Persis Yu was up by 546 votes over West Roxbury Sen. Mike Rush, though no winner had officially been called. 

Another closely watched Senate race could be headed for a recount. Sen. Will Brownsberger appeared to hang on to his seat by his fingernails, posting a 61-vote lead over challenger Daniel Lander, who’s been backed in his bid by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.

If the results hold, Brownsberger will have his hometown to thank. Belmont is the only community that picked him outright, with Lander leading in Boston, Cambridge and Watertown. 

While incumbents had a good night overall, results were mixed for some other political players. 

Brownsberger was one of a handful of Democrats Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll hit the trail for in the final pre-primary weekend, along with successful incumbent Reps. Jim O'Day and Dave Rogers, plus Rep. Marjorie Decker, who’s leading in a race that hasn’t yet been called. 

In the race for two open Senate seats north of Boston, Healey went 50-50. Her endorsed candidate, Melrose Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian, prevailed in a three-way fight in the district now held by Sen. Jason Lewis. Rep. Christine Barber, who Healey also endorsed, landed behind her House colleague Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven in the race to succeed Somerville Sen. Pat Jehlen.

Congresswoman Lori Trahan and Attorney General Andrea Campbell can celebrate in the Middlesex DA race — both backed incumbent Marian Ryan, who fended off a challenge from prosecutor David Solet. But their support didn’t make the difference for state Rep. Tram Nguyen, who fell to Dan Koh in the open Sixth Congressional District. 

Another split: the cycle’s two biggest self-funders are having very different mornings. Sixth District candidate John Beccia put up about $4 million of his own money to land third behind Koh and Nguyen.

Meanwhile, on the Republican side, Mike Minogue got an initial return on the $15 million he’s poured into his gubernatorial bid, cruising past rival Brian Shortsleeve with 76% of the vote.

And now it’s on the general — only 62 days to go.

How’d your candidates fare Tuesday? And where are you turning your attention ahead of November? Let’s talk about it: [email protected].

9:00 | Closing arguments expected in United States v. [Suffolk County Sheriff] Steven W. Tompkins. Closings will be in person only; remote access will not be available | Courtroom 20 (7th floor), Moakley Courthouse, Boston

1:00 | Department of Energy Resources holds in-person public hearing on regulatory changes to the Massachusetts Offers Rebates for Electric Vehicles (MOR-EV) program. Officials say the changes aim to streamline the application process, make the program more cost-effective and reduce certain price caps | 100 Cambridge St., Boston | More Info

1:00 | Partners in Democracy hosts post-primary briefing and delves into what the results could mean for Election Day in November. Panelists include Partners in Democracy CEO Jerren Chang, former U.S. Senate candidate Alex Rikleen and Mass Voter Table Executive Director Shanique Rodriguez | Zoom

1:30 | Clean Water Trust Board meets remotely. Agenda includes a report from the executive committee and votes on several grant commitments and agreements. For access email [email protected] | More Info and Agenda

3:00 | Treasurer Goldberg attends ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Watertown High School. The new school building is the first in the country to reach both net-zero energy and LEED 4.1 Platinum status and the $219 million project is the largest capital investment in Watertown's history, according to school officials | 50 Columbia St., Watertown

6:00 | MBTA holds a public meeting about the Widett Circle Layover Facility Project and takes feedback. The MBTA is planning to construct a new train layover facility at Widett Circle for Commuter Rail operations and future Regional Rail service | State Transportation Building, 2nd Floor, 10 Park Plaza, Boston

7:00 | U.S. Senate candidate John Deaton, a Bolton Republican, hosts a "People Over Politics" town hall. Billed as a non-partisan forum, the statewide listening tour will focus on "what Massachusetts families actually care about: skyrocketing housing costs, crushing affordability challenges, rising taxes, energy prices, and fixing our broken infrastructure," Deaton's campaign said | Knights of Columbus, 340 Hancock St., Quincy

Government and Community Affairs Division Chief — NEW, Mass Gaming Commission

Senior Legal Counsel, Office of the Child Advocate

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MINOGUE MOVES ON: It’s Mike Minogue vs. Maura Healey for governor after the Minogue’s decisive win in the Republican primary. Minogue comes in with a cash advantage but trailing Healey in the polls. | CommonWealth Beacon

FIRST LIEUTENANT: New Bedford City Councilor Shawn Oliver, despite initially running as Brian Shortsleeve's lieutenant governor candidate, is ready to join forces with Mike Minogue on the GOP ticket. | State House News Service (gift link)

MARKEY TIME: Sen. Ed Markey calls his primary win a testament to the progressive movement's power, while Congressman Seth Moulton's supporters hope to see his name on the ballot again in another race. | GBH News

LET’S KOH: Andover Democrat Dan Koh will head on to the general election after significantly outraising other candidates in the crowded Sixth District field. He's one of the few candidates running this year to go all-in with an embrace of former President Joe Biden.| Politico

REDISTRICTING: Incumbent DAs Kevin Hayden in Suffolk County and Marian Ryan in Middlesex County win their races, while the too-close-to-call race for Norfolk district attorney boils down to a match between former prosecutors Djuna Perkins and Adam Deitch. | Boston Globe

CAPE KEEPS ON: Cape and Islands District Attorney Rob Galibois, the first Democrat to hold the seat in 50 years, is on track to keep his seat after a primary win. | Vineyard Gazette

CALLED FOR COLLINS: First-time candidate Latoya Gayle says that when she called Sen. Nick Collins to concede, he "said that I made him be a better state senator" during their competitive race. | Dorchester Reporter

DECKER ON DECK: The gap between Cambridge Rep. Marjorie Decker and labor organizer Evan MacKay widened in the rematch of a race that went to a recount in 2024. | Cambridge Somerville Independent

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