Focus turns to state, legislative races: These candidates are in Nov. 8 general election

The results from the Sept. 6 primary are in and now the focus turns to statewide and Central Massachusetts legislative races in the Nov. 8 general election.

Two incumbent members of Congress face Republican opponents.

Statewide, a Democratic slate mostly featuring women goes up against a Republican slate reflective of a state party increasingly tied to the politics of former President Donald J. Trump.

In Central Massachusetts, many incumbents are running unopposed while a few who waltzed through their primaries face challengers in the general.

In the state Senate, the winner of a marquee Democratic primary faces an unenrolled candidate. A part of Worcester has also been added to the Senate district of a Spencer Democrat who faces a young Holden Republican.

Two Democratic senators in districts on the further ends of Worcester County are also in competitive primaries.

In the Statehouse, most Worcester incumbents are running unopposed with one exception. Several competitive races are set throughout the rest of Central Massachusetts.

Statewide races

Attorney General Maura T. Healey and Salem Mayor Kimberley Driscoll will be at the top of the Democratic ticket as the party's governor and lieutenant governor nominees. Former state Reps. Geoff Diehl of Whitman and Leah G. Cole Allen of Peabody will top the Republican ticket as the governor and lieutenant governor nominees.

Former Boston City Council President Andrea J. Campbell will be the Democratic nominee to succeed Healey as attorney general. Attorney Jay McMahon of Cape Cod, the 2018 Republican nominee, will seek the position again for Republicans.

Longtime Secretary of State William F. Galvin is running for reelection against Republican radio host Rayla Campbell of Randolph.

Finally, state Sen. Diana DiZoglio of Methuen is the Democratic nominee for state auditor to succeed Suzanne M. Bump. She is running against Boston auditor and investigator Anthony Amore, the only statewide Republican running with the endorsement of Gov. Charlie Baker.

State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg is running for reelection as a Democrat unopposed.

Massachusetts 2nd Congressional District

Longtime U,S. Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Worcester, faces Shrewsbury businessman Jeffrey Sossa-Paquette in the general election.

Sossa-Paquette said the candidates have agreed to two debates, but the dates have not been scheduled yet.

McGovern is running for his 14th two-year term. In 2020, he was reelected with about two-thirds of the vote in the general election.

The 2nd Congressional District now includes the following Worcester County municipalities: Worcester, Leominster, Auburn, Holden, Shrewsbury, Millbury, Leicester, Paxton, Boylston, West Boylston, Grafton, Athol, Barre, Douglas, Hardwick, Hubbardston, Northborough, Northbridge, Oakham, Petersham, Phillipston, Princeton, Royalston, Rutland, Southborough, Sterling, Sutton, Templeton, Upton, Uxbridge, much of Webster, part of Westminster, and Westborough.

Massachusetts 3rd Congressional District 

U.S. Rep. Lori A. Trahan, D-Westford, faces former Republican state Sen. Dean A. Tran of Fitchburg.

Tran pleaded not guilty in Worcester Superior Court in July to charges including larceny of a firearm and misleading a police investigation. He also announced a lawsuit against Healey alleging the charges are politically motivated.

Trahan is running for her third two-year term. She was unopposed in 2020.

The 3rd Congressional District now includes the following Worcester County municipalities: Fitchburg, Lunenburg, Gardner, Ashburnham, Berlin, Bolton, Clinton, Harvard, Lancaster, most of Westminster and Winchendon.

STATE SENATE RACES                        

Worcester and Hampshire District

State Sen. Anne M. Gobi, D-Spencer, is running for reelection to a seat that has changed considerably due to redistricting. Her seat now includes a part of Worcester.

She is being challenged by Republican James Amorello of Holden. Amorello said he is hoping to bring a youth perspective and a focus on fiscal issues to the state Senate.

In the Worcester area of the district, Gobi received 1,288 votes in an uncontested Democratic primary while Amorello received 424 votes in his uncontested primary. 

(Covers Worcester, Holden, Spencer, Leicester, Paxton, Sterling, East Brookfield, North Brookfield, Brookfield, West Brookfield, Princeton, Rutland, Oakham, Hardwick, Ware, New Braintree, Gardner, Barre, Hubbardston, Templeton, Phillipston and Westminster)

1st Worcester District

(Covers Worcester, Boylston, Berlin, Bolton, Northborough and West Boylston)

After her commanding primary win over Worcester Mayor Joseph M. Petty, former YWCA executive Robyn K. Kennedy of Worcester will be the Democratic nominee in the race to succeed state Sen. Harriette L. Chandler, D-Worcester.

She will face unenrolled candidate Lisa Mair of Berlin in November.

Middlesex and Worcester District

(Covers Acton, Harvard, Ayer, Littleton, Stow, Maynard, Hudson, Sudbury, Southborough, Boxborough and Wayland)

Incumbent James B. Eldridge, D-Acton, is running against Republican Anthony Christakis of Wayland.

Worcester and Middlesex District

(Covers Fitchburg, Gardner, Lunenburg, Lancaster, Clinton, Shirley, Leominster, Ashby, Townsend, Westford and Groton)

Incumbent John J. Cronin, D-Lunenburg, is running for reelection against Ken Hoyt, a Republican of Westford. 

STATE HOUSE RACES

2nd Worcester District

(Covers Ashburnham, Gardner, part of Winchendon and Templeton)

Incumbent Jonathan D. Zlotnik, D-Gardner, is running for reelection against Bruce K. Chester, a Republican from Gardner.

3rd Worcester District

(Covers Fitchburg and part of Lunenburg)

Rep. Michael P. Kushmerek, D-Fitchburg, is running for reelection against Republican Aaron Packard of Fitchburg.

4th Worcester District

(Covers Leominster)

Rep. Natalie Higgins, D-Leominster, is running for reelection. John Dombrowski, a former Leominster city councilor, is running as an unenrolled candidate.

7th Worcester District

(Covers Auburn, part of Charlton, Millbury, much of Oxford and part of Leicester)

Incumbent Paul K. Frost, R-Auburn, is running for reelection. Terry Burke Dotson of Millbury is running as an unenrolled candidate.

11th Worcester District

(Covers Shrewsbury and part of Westborough)

Rep. Hannah E. Kane, R-Shrewsbury, is running for reelection; she faces Democrat Stephen Fishman of Shrewsbury.

12th Worcester District

(Covers Clinton, Boylston, Berlin, Sterling, part of Northborough and Lancaster)

Rep. Meghan Kilcoyne, D-Clinton, is running for reelection against Republican Michael A. Vulcano III of Northborough, director of football operations at the College of the Holy Cross.

17th Worcester District

(Covers part of Worcester and part of Leicester)

State Rep. David H.A. LeBoeuf, D-Worcester, is running for reelection against Republican Paul Fullen of Worcester, a Worcester firefighter.

LeBoeuf was arrested for drunken driving in April. He has said he is receiving treatment for addiction and that he he has been sober for several months.

In the primaries, LeBouef received 1,519 votes in Worcester while Fullen received 457.

19th Worcester District

(Covers much of Westborough, part of Northborough, Southborough and part of Framingham)

Two candidates are vying for this new open seat. Veteran Democratic campaigner Kate Donaghue of Westborough is running against Republican Jonathan Hostage of Southborough.

2nd Franklin District

(Covers Athol, Phillipston, Royalston, part of Winchendon, Erving, Northfield, Gill, most of Greenfield, Orange, Warwick and Precinct A of Belchertown)

Incumbent Rep. Susannah M. Whipps of Athol, an unenrolled state representative, is running against Republican Jeff Raymond of Athol.

Worcester County Sheriff

Sheriff Lewis G. Evangelidis, a Republican, is facing a challenge from Democrat David Fontaine of Paxton. 

Governor's Council District 7

Democrat Paul DePalo faces a challenge from Republican Gary Galonek of Sturbridge, an actor who served two terms on the Sturbridge Zoning Board of Appeals.

Unopposed

The following incumbents are unopposed: State Sen. Michael O. Moore, 2nd Worcester District; State Sen. Ryan C. Fattman, Worcester and Norfolk District; state Rep. Kimberly N. Ferguson, 1st Worcester District; state Rep. Donald R. Berthiaume Jr., 5th Worcester District; state Rep. Peter J. Durant, 5th Worcester District; state Rp. Michael J. Soter, 8th Worcester District; state Rep. David K. Muradian Jr.; 9th Worcester District; state Rep. Brian W. Murray, 10th Worcester District; state Rep. John J. Mahoney, 13th Worcester District; state Rep. Rep. James J. O'Day, 14th Worcester District; state Rep. Mary S. Keefe, 15th Worcester District; state Rep. Daniel M. Donahue, 16th Worcester District; state Rep. Joseph D. McKenna, 18th Worcester District; state Rep. Todd M. Smola, 1st Hampden District; state Rep. Danielle W. Gregoire, 4th Middlesex District.      

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Focus turns to state, legislative races with these candidates Nov. 8