Uyterhoeven declares victory in state senate primary; Markey fends off Moulton for U.S. Senate

This is a developing story, check back here for updates. 

Results are provided by The Associated Press.

11:10 a.m.

With Uyterhoeven and Connolly's wins Wednesday morning, all races have been officially called.

State House: 26th Middlesex

State Rep. Mike Connolly won re-election to his seat in the 26th Middlesex district, fending off a primary challenge from housing advocate and former data scientist Neil Miller.

- Julian Glickman

State Senate: 2nd Middlesex

State Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven, a three-term legislator, won the open State Senate race for retiring incumbent Pat Jehlen. Uyterhoeven — who was supported by many progressive organizations, including Medford for Palestine, Somerville for Palestine and Our Revolution Cambridge — defeated fellow state Rep. Christine Barber, who Jehlen endorsed, as well as Cambridge Vice Mayor Burhan Azeem and Somerville City Councilor Matthew McLaughlin. Uyterhoeven announced her candidacy outside the Medford/Tufts station in February, calling for a stronger resistance to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, and for Tufts to “pay its fair share” to its local communities.

- Julian Glickman

11:50 p.m.

State Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven has declared victory in the Massachusetts State Senate primary to replace retiring senator Pat Jehlen. Somerville City Councilor Matt McLaughlin and State Rep. Christine Barber have conceded the race. The city of Cambridge has not yet released its vote counts, delaying an official declaration. 

Somerville City Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen won the primary to replace Uyterhoeven, defeating Olivia Gilligan-Corsetti, a lifelong Somerville resident who formerly worked in the Office of Gov. Maura Healey. Somerville City Councilor Will Mbah won the primary to replace Barber, defeating Medford School Committee member Paul Ruseau and startup founder and policy analyst Chris Oates. 

On the national stage, incumbents Rep. Katherine Clark and Senator Ed Markey have won their primaries and seek to retain their seats in the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate respectively. Markey, part of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, defeated Rep. Seth Moulton, who pitched the race as an opportunity to usher in generational change.

- Josué Pérez

10:37 p.m.

Matt McLaughlin posted a statement on social media conceding the race for State Senate. 

“I want to thank the thousands of supporters who believed in me and who supported me in my bid for State Senate,” he wrote. “The election ends today, but my commitment to advancing issues to help the working class will not stop here and I look forward to working with the winner to ensure the issues I’ve been fighting for my entire life remain at the top of mind.”

- Josué Pérez

10:31 p.m.

With an optimistic outlook for Rep. Uyterhoeven and energy high in Union Square, Uyterhoeven gave a speech, emphasizing her continued promise to represent the people, not corporations.

"We were up against a state house that mirrors what we're up against nationally," Uyterhoeven said. "Absolutely authoritarian, elitist, corrupt, and unaccountable status quo funded by corporations, fueled by bigotry and flames fanned by an ascendent right-wing extremist movement... This campaign is not about me. It is about all of us, and the issues that drive us to fight together."

- Amelia Sammons and Carly Hope

10:20 p.m.

Rep. Barber just told supporters she called Rep. Uyterhoeven to concede the race, encouraging volunteers to continue organizing to make sure “we are delivering for the people who need it most” in urgent times.

“For every person that you met on this campaign, everyone you talked to, every cause you learned about, every minute that you donated to do something — turn that into the next fight because we need that energy. There is so much fight ahead of us,” Barber said. “That’s what I’m going to do because it is too urgent not to.”

- Julian Glickman

10:17 p.m.

Senator Markey walks off the stage alongside his wife after delivering a quote-rich speech centered on his aspirations for the Democrats to win back power from President Trump. “So to Donald Trump and his enablers, if you’re listening, Massachusetts has something to say: We will not sit by while you try to destroy this democracy,” he said. Markey urged supporters to be prepared to engage in civil disobedience if Trump attempts to steal the election. 

Recalling being a boy growing up in Malden, MA, sitting on his porch and dreaming of his future, Markey said, “Donald Trump is attacking the futures, the dreams of every boy and every girl on every porch all across this country, cutting education, cutting healthcare, cutting protections against discrimination…It’s their American dream, their future, which we are fighting for.”

Markey referenced a plethora of policies he intends to push for, including abolishing ICE, stopping bombing in Gaza, Medicare for All, slashing the Department of Defense’s budget, and impeaching Trump.

Towards the end of his speech, Markey pledged to help campaign for democratic nominees in swing states as the general election approaches and confidently proclaimed, “There is a big blue wave coming.”

Markey closed his speech by affirming his intention to represent the people of Massachusetts. “I pledge tonight to work with you and for you…to defend…the values that make Massachusetts the greatest state in this country.”

- Theo Weller

State House: 34th Middlesex

Will Mbah, a longtime Somerville city councilor, won the state legislative election to replace State Rep. Christine Barber, who ran for state Senate. Mbah, a native of Cameroon, defeated Medford School Committee member Paul Ruseau and startup founder and policy analyst Chris Oates. Under Somerville charter rules, Mbah’s seat on the Somerville City Council will likely be filled by Marianne Walles, a social worker and union leader who placed fifth in the 2025 at-large council election. Mbah has signaled his support for Walles.

- Julian Glickman

10:06 p.m.

With 77% of the votes counted, Rep. Uyterhoeven remains in the lead as she is welcomed with applause at her watch party in Union Square. 

Paul Ruseau has now surpassed Chris Oates and is in second place for the 34th Middlesex district race. Mbah still has a significant lead and is likely to win, as 94% of the votes are in.

- Amelia Sammons

9:52 p.m.

Senator Markey is taking the stage at his watch party moments after State Senator Lydia Edwards finished a fiery speech to a room of energetic Markey supporters. Tyler Hack, Founder and Executive Director of the Christopher Street Project, an organization dedicated to supporting pro-transgender candidates, also spoke. Hack commended Markey’s support of transgender rights. Moulton—Markey’s now-defeated opponent—received major backlash during his campaign for past criticisms of the Democrats supporting transgender athletes in women’s sports.

- Theo Weller

U.S. House: 5th District

Incumbent Representative Katherine Clark has won the Democratic primary to represent Massachusetts’ 5th U.S. House District for an eighth term, receiving 75.3% of the vote, with 11% of the votes in. Clark has served as House minority whip since 2023, meaning she is the second highest-ranking Democrat in the House. Clark’s campaign highlighted her efforts to fight President Donald Trump on issues surrounding affordability, including Republican cuts to Medicare and the Affordable Care Act, the Iran war and tariffs. 

Clark fended off a pair of challengers, Jonathan Paz and Tarik Samman. Both argued that the Democratic establishment needed change, mirroring the campaigns of Democratic challengers in states like New York who have successfully knocked off incumbents in this year’s primaries. Nevertheless, Clark’s high rank in the House and respected reputation prevailed for a comfortable win. The 5th District’s Republican primary saw only one write-in candidate, so Clark’s nomination all but seals re-election in November.

- Theo Weller

9:18 p.m.

Medford School Committee member Paul Ruseau has called Will Mbah to concede the race for State Representative for the 34th Middlesex District and congratulate Mbah on his win. With 48% of the votes in, Mbah has won 64.5% of the vote. Ruseau is currently third behind Chris Oates. The race has not been officially called. 

“I am very much happy to support him, and want to make sure that he has all of our support because it’s a tough job,” Ruseau said. “The state house is no joke, [it’s] really a problem and stuck, and it’s going to take a lot more than one person to get it unstuck.”

— Josué Pérez and June Myint

Governor: Republican Primary

Michael Minogue, the former CEO of medical device company Abiomed, has won the Republican nomination for Massachusetts governor. Minogue ran his campaign with the slogan “A new kind of governor for Massachusetts,” marketing himself as a man of faith, combat veteran and business leader who prioritizes family values. He emphasized issues of affordability, job security and public safety, promising to cut taxes, grow jobs and ensure that Massachusetts is no longer a sanctuary state. Minogue will face democratic incumbent Gov. Maura Healey in November.

- Amelia Sammons

State House: 27th Middlesex

Somerville City Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen has won the Democratic primary for the 27th Middlesex District State House seat, securing 69.9% of the vote. Ewen-Campen has served on the Somerville City Council since 2017 and represents Ward 3. In his campaign, Ewen-Campen said that he would fight for affordable housing, workers and mass transit, and fight against surveillance technologies. Ewen-Campen won the endorsements of local progressive and labor organizations.

Ewen-Campen defeated Olivia Gilligan-Corsetti, a lifelong Somerville resident who formerly worked in the Office of Governor Maura Healey. No Republican is running for the seat, so as things stand, Ewen-Campen will run unopposed in the general election.

- Theo Weller

8:45 p.m.

Early numbers are showing a strong start for Rep. Uyterhoeven. The mood at Rep. Barber’s election party is tame, with some supporters surprised at Uyterhoeven’s lead. Nearly all of Somerville’s precincts have reported results, while Medford, Cambridge and Winchester have yet to report numbers.

- Julian Glickman

8:32 p.m.

Erika Uyterhoeven’s watch party is starting to fill up. Attendees consist of volunteers, people of all ages, and a family with small children.

“We’ve had like 60 volunteers out there today," Magda Mohammed, Uyterhoeven’s deputy campaign director, said. "It’s the culmination of months of hard work, and I think people are excited because I think we feel like the momentum is with us, and we feel like we’re behind a really worthy cause.”

- Theo Weller

U.S. Senate

With only 2% of the votes in, the Democratic primary race for one of Massachusetts’ two seats in the United States Senate has been called in favor of incumbent Senator Ed Markey, who won 72.7% of the vote as of 8:30 p.m., to defeat Representative Seth Moulton. Markey’s campaign centered around his long track record as a progressive leader in Congress, where he co-authored the Green New Deal. Markey has served in the Senate since 2013 and, before that, had served in the House of Representatives since 1976.

Moulton’s campaign argued that it was time for Markey, 80, to pass the torch to younger leadership. Ultimately, voters sided with Markey, who generally ran to the left of Moulton. Notably, Markey’s campaign endorsed Medicare for All, while Moulton’s only supported a public health care option. To secure a third term in the Senate, Markey will still need to defeat Republican nominee John Deaton in November. However, Massachusetts’ overwhelmingly Democratic population makes Markey the heavy favorite.

- Theo Weller

8:00 p.m.

Polls have now closed. Reporters from the Daily will be checking in with updates from local watch parties for Christine Barber, Erika Uyterhoeven and Paul Ruseau.

2:45 p.m.

It’s Primary Day in Massachusetts, with voters heading to the polls for races including the U.S. Senate and Governor, as well as several state legislative races in Medford and Somerville.

Two-term incumbent Sen. Ed Markey is being challenged by Rep. Seth Moulton, who represents the 6th district, encompassing the northeastern part of the state, including Andover, Salem, and Gloucester. Moulton has framed the race around age and is pushing for a new generation of leadership in Washington. Markey is relying on his progressive bona fides and his nearly 50 years of congressional experience to win another term.

In the 2nd Middlesex State Senate District, incumbent State Sen. Pat Jehlen is retiring after 21 years. Her seat is being contested by Cambridge Vice Mayor Burhan Azeem, state representatives Christine Barber and Erika Uyterhoeven and Somerville City Councilor Matt McLaughlin. 

The State House races see incumbent state Rep. Mike Connolly being challenged by housing advocate Neil Miller, as well as two open seats left by Reps. Uyterhoeven and Barber. Ben Ewen-Campen, Olivia Gilligan-Corsetti, Will Mbah, Chris Oates and Paul Ruseau are running to fill those vacant seats.

In the U.S. House, six-term incumbent and Minority Whip Katherine Clark is being challenged by former Waltham City Councilor Jonathan Paz and union organizer Tarik Samman. 

Michael Minogue and Brian Shortsleeve face off in the Republican primary for Governor to see who will challenge incumbent Gov. Maura Healey in November. 

– Amelia Sammons

Follow live coverage from Daily reporters across Medford and Somerville for updates.