Morning Digest: 13-term Democrat could face primary after outburst at constituents

Or, why Democrats should heed progressive ire over their response to Trump

and

Feb 26, 2025

Leading Off

MA-08

Following his dismissive outburst at constituents demanding he take a more assertive stance against Donald Trump, Massachusetts Rep. Stephen Lynch could find himself on the receiving end of a primary challenge.

Lynch, who's represented a safely blue seat in Congress since 2001, was exhorted by rallygoers at a Friday protest to stand up more forcefully to Trump. But he demurred when one attendee asked him to "commit to not voting for any Republican legislation," saying he had to consider the views of his entire district.

"I got 800,000 people that I represent, and I gotta figure out what's in their best interest, not the best interest of, you know, Sally Blue from across the street," said Lynch in a video published by MassLive. One attendee, however, interjected to say, "This is in the best interests of our country and our democracy," which set Lynch off.

"I get to decide that. I get to decide that," he responded with evident irritation. "I get to decide that. I'm elected. I get to decide that. You wanna decide that? You need to run for Congress, okay? I get to decide that."

Lynch may soon get reminded that voters, in fact, decide that. Attorney Patrick Roath, described by Politico as a "voting rights advocate and Deval Patrick alum," is weighing a bid against the congressman in next year's Democratic primary, according to an unnamed source.

Roath hasn't commented publicly, but the day after Lynch's eruption, he tweeted, "Arrogance is bad. So is entitlement."

If he does run, he'd be taking on a veteran office-holder who has turned back several intra-party rivals over the years, relying on his strength with working-class voters in South Boston and nearby suburbs. He hasn't always run up the score, though: His most recent bout came in 2020, when he defeated physician Robbie Goldstein 66-33—a margin that was simultaneously not close but also not dominant for an incumbent.

Lynch, a former ironworker with close ties to organized labor, also brings with him a record of past social conservatism: Earlier in his career, he opposed abortion rights, though he later shifted his views (but he still called himself "pro-life" as recently as 2019.) Infamously in progressive circles, he also voted against the Affordable Care Act, though he claimed to do so from the left.

Roath, who is in his late 30s, would offer a stark generational contrast with Lynch, who turns 70 next month and has held public office since 1995. But even if Lynch avoids a primary, he's by no means the only longtime Democrat whose posture toward Trump has drawn progressive ire—anger that is reminiscent of the tea party furor that reshaped the GOP in 2010 and could fuel a wave of primary challenges next year.

Whenever there’s a serious primary, The Downballot is on top of it. Even races in safely red or deep blue territory matter, because they can have a huge impact on the soul of a party. Few outlets cover these contests as closely as we do. If you value this sort of coverage, please consider becoming a paid supporter today if you haven’t already done so.

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Governors

CO-Gov, CO-AG

Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty just became the first major candidate to announce a bid to serve as Colorado's next attorney general, but an even bigger name could join him in the Democratic primary—and reshape the race for governor, too.

Dougherty ran for attorney general once before in 2018 but dropped out to seek an appointment as district attorney, saying he did not think it appropriate to, in essence, campaign for two jobs at once. The gambit paid off: Weeks later, then-Gov. John Hickenlooper tapped him to fill the vacant post. Dougherty then defeated another applicant 60-40 in the Democratic primary and has repeatedly won reelection unopposed.

Several other Democrats could yet join him, but the Colorado Sun's Jesse Paul now tosses a new option into the mix: Secretary of State Jena Griswold, who is reportedly "weighing whether to run for governor or attorney general." Griswold had looked likely to seek the state's open governorship, but the position of attorney general—which is also open—could be an easier lift.

That's because a host of heavyweight Democrats could try to succeed Gov. Jared Polis, and one already is: Phil Weiser, the current attorney general. But should Griswold, who like both Weiser and Polis is termed out, attempt to fill Weiser's post, she'd likely be the only current statewide official in the race. Other potential contenders include former House Speaker Crisanta Duran and Adams County District Attorney Brian Mason, according to Paul.

As for Republicans, even though they held this office from 2005 to 2019, they have no notable candidates on the horizon. And given the GOP's travails in Colorado this century, it's very possible next year's general election won't be seriously contested.

OH-Gov

A new poll of Ohio's race for governor, taken just before businessman Vivek Ramaswamy finally made his campaign official, shows Democrat Amy Acton edging out the newcomer by a 45-44 margin. The same survey, conducted by the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling, also shows former Rep. Tim Ryan trailing Ramaswamy 48-42.

The poll was paid for by 314 Action, a progressive group that supports Democratic candidates with STEM backgrounds. The organization has not yet endorsed Acton, who previously ran Ohio's health department, but it spoke warmly of her when she launched her campaign last month, saying on social media that it was "excited to see" her join the race. Ryan is not currently running but recently declined to rule out the idea.

PA-Gov

Surely Josh Shapiro can only be so lucky: Republican Doug Mastriano, who beat out some very stiff competition to win the title of "Worst Candidate of 2022," now says he's considering another bid for governor next year.

When the two first met up, Shapiro blitzed the state senator by a 56-42 margin in a race that stood out even in a year that saw Kari Lake, Herschel Walker, and Blake Masters all on the ballot. Mastriano, though, was uncommonly immersed in conspiracy theories, even by the standards of today's GOP, and he was left for dead early on by major Republican groups whose job it is to win gubernatorial elections. It was the right call.

Could Mastriano screw over his party once again? So far, no actual candidates have opted to run against Shapiro, though Rep. Dan Meuser and state Treasurer Stacy Garrity are in the mix. Dead-enders like Mastriano typically don't fare so well in return engagements (see, for instance, Roy Moore or Chris McDaniel), but Republicans probably aren't especially eager to find out.

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House

Arizona

With Arizona set to once again be a major arena in next year's battle for control of the House, Erin Covey of the Cook Political Report shares a number of details on potential candidates in the state's top races:

AZ-01: Former state Rep. Amish Shah, who lost to Republican Rep. David Schweikert 52-48 in the swingy 1st District last year, "plans on running" again, according to his former campaign manager. Army veteran Jimmy McCain, the son of the late Sen. John McCain, is also "being recruited"; the younger McCain registered as a Democrat and backed Kamala Harris last fall.
AZ-02: Democrat Jonathan Nez, a former president of the Navajo Nation, is "looking at" a rematch with GOP Rep. Eli Crane. Nez lost to Crane by 9 points in 2024 but ran ahead of the top of the ticket: Donald Trump beat Kamala Harris by 15 in the conservative 2nd District, according to calculations by The Downballot.
AZ-06: Former state Sen. Kirsten Engel, who lost back-to-back close races against Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani in the competitive 6th District, says that "at this time, I am not planning to run." Marine veteran JoAnna Mendoza announced a bid for the Democratic nod earlier this month.
AZ-07: In the safely blue 7th District, which is open because longtime Democratic Rep. Raul Grijalva is retiring, both Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and Pima County Supervisor Adelita Grijalva (the congressman's daughter) are "weighing bids" but "it's unlikely they'd both run." Former state Rep. Daniel Hernandez, who lost the 2022 primary in the 6th to Engel, "might also get in."

This piece incorrectly said that Donald Trump beat Joe Biden by 15 points in Arizona’s 2nd District. That figure refers to Trump’s margin of victory over Kamala Harris last year. Trump beat Biden by 8 points in 2020.