Massachusetts Primary results have been pouring in, and incumbents in the Bay State had a good night.

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U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-MA, will survive to November’s general election. The Associated Press called the race just before 9:30 p.m., with Auchincloss enjoying 72 percent of the vote compared with Poulos’s 28 percent at that time.

Auchincloss, facing his first primary challenge since he was elected in 2020, battled AI researcher Jason Poulos of Sherborn.

Poulos, a progressive running an insurgency campaign from the left, seized on Auchincloss’s unwavering support for Israel and corporate campaign donations and pledged to push for single-payer healthcare and a universal basic income.

As the race entered its final weeks, more and more Poulos signs were seen popping up on lawns across Newton’s villages, signaling that he had begun rallying progressives who were disappointed with the more centrist Auchincloss and outraged about Israel’s continued military onslaught of Gaza.

But Auchincloss is hardly a right-winger. He addresses the 4th congressional district’s housing shortage crisis with a boldness that housing advocates in places like Newton and Brookline appreciate. He’s an unapologetic gun control advocate. He creates and sponsors legislation aimed at curbing abuses by healthcare companies, social media companies and other modern-day societal pariahs.

And he has a campaign war chest of more than $7.5 million. Poulos, at last tally, had less than $10,000.

In a political system in which donations equal enthusiasm, that last part may have been the best bellwether of this battle.

There was no Republican primary, so Auchincloss enters the general election season unopposed.

Ed Markey speaks with City Councilors Sean Roche and Tarik Lucas and State Rep. Greg Schwartz before canvassing for votes on June 14, 2026. Photo by Bryan McGonigle

Senate

Auchincloss wasn’t the only one to fend off a primary challenge. U.S. Sen. Ed Markey won a third Senate term at the age of 80, despite the efforts (and Boston Globe endorsement) of U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton to unseat him.

The Associated Press called this race at about 8:30 p.m., and by 9:30 p.m., Markey was trouncing Moulton 65 percent to 35 percent.

Moulton, 47, ran a campaign focused on youth to contrast with Markey’s age, and he started promoting policies popular with young voters, but that tack didn’t take. And his controversial comments about transgender kids playing sports and his attempt to link Markey with notorious human trafficker Jeffrey Epstein likely didn’t help the younger candidate.

In November’s general election, Markey now faces attorney John Deaton, who ran unopposed in the Republican primary.

Middlesex 10th

And in the race most local to Newton, Middlesex 10th District Rep. John Lawn, whose district includes a small part of Newton and a big chunk of Nonantum, looks to be victorious against Democratic primary challenger Alison Leary. As of about 10 p.m., Lawn had a massive lead of about 61 percent to Leary’s 39 percent.

Leary came in hot, with a push for single-payer healthcare and increased state house transparency along with accusations that Lawn was “bought and paid for” by special interests. But she also shoved her foot in her mouth by—and then apologized for—saying that Nonantum residents don’t want immigrants or more housing so they’re not her voters.

There is no Republican primary for that seat, so Lawn will be unopposed in November.

We will have a breakdown of how Newton voted in these and other races later this week.