On the night of the election, all nine races were declared in favor of the Democratic Party candidates.[1] Seven seats went to incumbents seeking re-election: Richard Neal (1st District), Jim McGovern (2nd), Joseph Kennedy III (4th), Katherine Clark (5th), Seth Moulton (6th), Stephen F. Lynch (8th), and Bill Keating (9th). In the 7th District, Ayanna Pressley ran unopposed after defeating the incumbent in the primary election. In the 3rd District, where the incumbent did not seek re-election, Lori Trahan was declared the winner.[2]
The 1st congressional district is located in western and Central Massachusetts. The largest Massachusetts district in area, it covers about 1/3 of the state and is more rural than the rest. It has the state's highest point, Mount Greylock. The district includes the cities of Springfield, West Springfield, Pittsfield, Holyoke, and Westfield. The district has a PVI of D+12. The incumbent is Democrat Richard Neal, who has represented the district since 2013 and previously represented the 2nd district from 1989 to 2013. He was re-elected with 73% of the vote in 2016. For the 4th election cycle in a row, no Republicans filed to run in this district.
The 2nd congressional district is located in central Massachusetts. It contains the cities of Worcester, which is the second-largest city in New England after Boston, and Northampton in the Pioneer Valley. The district has a PVI of D+13.
The incumbent is Democrat Jim McGovern, who has represented the district since 2013 and previously represented the 3rd district from 1997 to 2013. He was re-elected unopposed with 98% of the vote in 2016.
The 3rd congressional district is located in northeastern and central Massachusetts. It contains the Merrimack valley including Lowell, Lawrence and Haverhill. The district has a PVI of D+9.
The incumbent is Democrat Niki Tsongas, who has represented the district since 2013 and previously represented the 5th district from 2007 to 2013. She was re-elected with 69% of the vote in 2016.
Tsongas is retiring, and did not seek re-election in 2018.[4]
Lori Trahan and Daniel Koh were separated by less than one half of one percent of the votes cast. Koh subsequently requested a recount,[35] which confirmed Trahan's victory.[36]
The 4th congressional district is located mostly in southern Massachusetts. It contains Bristol, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth and Worcester counties. The district has a PVI of D+9.
The incumbent is Democrat Joe Kennedy III, who has represented the district since 2013. He was re-elected with 70% of the vote in 2016.
Kennedy is running for re-election.[41] No Republicans filed to run.
The 5th congressional district is located in eastern Massachusetts. It contains Middlesex, Suffolk and Worcester counties. The district has a PVI of D+18. The incumbent is Democrat Katherine Clark, who has represented the district since winning a special election in 2013. She was re-elected unopposed with 99% of the vote in 2016.
The 6th congressional district is located in northeastern Massachusetts. It contains most of Essex County, including the North Shore and Cape Ann. The district has a PVI of D+6. The incumbent is Democrat Seth Moulton, who has represented the district since 2015. He was re-elected unopposed with 98% of the vote in 2016.
The 7th congressional district is located in eastern Massachusetts. It contains the northern three-quarters of the city of Boston, the city of Somerville and parts of the city of Cambridge. The district has a PVI of D+34. The incumbent was Democrat Mike Capuano, who has represented the district since 2013 and previously represented the 8th district from 1999 to 2013. He was re-elected unopposed with 99% of the vote in 2016.
In his bid for re-nomination by the Democratic Party, Capuano was defeated by Boston city councillor Ayanna Pressley.[49]
The primary victory was a surprise,[50] as the last poll before the election showed Capuano with a significant lead, 48% to 35%.[51] Part of the reason the polls may have been inaccurate is a surge in the number of primary voters. 24% of District 7 voters in the 2018 primary had not voted in the five previous primaries, and that percentage was disproportionately of Hispanic and Asian ethnicities.[52]
The 8th congressional district is located in eastern Massachusetts. It contains the southern quarter of the city of Boston and many of its southern suburbs. The incumbent is Democrat Stephen Lynch, who has represented the district since 2013 and previously represented the 9th district from 2001 to 2013. The district has a PVI of D+10. He was re-elected with 72% of the vote in 2016.
Lynch is running for re-election.[88] No Republicans filed to run.
Two political newcomers ran against Lynch in the primary, video game developer Brianna Wu and pilot Christopher Voehl.[89] No debates have been held in this race.[90]
The 9th congressional district is located in eastern Massachusetts, including Cape Cod and the South Coast. It contains all of Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket counties and parts of Bristol and Plymouth counties. The district has a PVI of D+4. The incumbent is Democrat Bill Keating, who has represented the district since 2013 and previously represented the 10th district from 2011 to 2013. He was re-elected with 56% of the vote in 2016.
Bill Cimbrelo, a businessman and former environmental chemist from Osterville, has announced that he plans to challenge Keating in the September primary.[91] Cimbrelo previously ran for U.S. Senate against former senator Scott Brown in 2012 as an independent candidate.