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Massachusetts' 4th Congressional District election, 2020 (September 1 Democratic primary)
- Primary date: Sept. 1
- Primary type: Semi-closed
- Registration deadline(s): Aug. 12
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Early voting starts: Pending
- Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): Sept. 1 (received)
- Voter ID: No ID
- Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
2022 →
← 2018
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| Massachusetts' 4th Congressional District |
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 |
| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: May 5, 2020 & June 2, 2020[1] |
| Primary: September 1, 2020 General: November 3, 2020 Pre-election incumbent: Joseph Kennedy III (Democratic) |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting in Massachusetts |
| Race ratings |
Inside Elections: Solid Democratic Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Democratic |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2020 |
| See also |
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th Massachusetts elections, 2020 U.S. Congress elections, 2020 U.S. Senate elections, 2020 U.S. House elections, 2020 |
Jake Auchincloss defeated six candidates in Massachusetts' 4th Congressional District Democratic primary on September 1, 2020. He received 22% of the vote. Jesse Mermell was second with 21%. Becky Grossman received 18%, Natalia Linos received 12%, and Ihssane Leckey received 11%. No other candidate received more than 10% of the vote.
The seat was left open after incumbent Joseph Kennedy III chose to run for Senate rather than seek re-election. Jake Auchincloss, Becky Grossman, Alan Khazei, Ihssane Leckey, and Jesse Mermell led the field in media coverage and fundraising. In an interview with NBC 10 Boston, a Democratic political consultant said of the race, “This is going to be really, really close. And the candidate who wins may only get 20 or 25% of the vote.”[2]
Massachusetts' 4th was rated by 3 independent outlets as Safely Democratic. At the time of the primary, a Republican had not held the office since 1947.
In an August 18 debate, the candidates discussed healthcare. Mermell and Leckey expressed support for Medicare for All. Grossman said she supported introducing a public option and the eventual implementation of Medicare for All. Khazei and Auchincloss discussed how they want to extend the Affordable Care Act by adding a public option.[3]
Auchincloss was endorsed by The Boston Globe and the National Association of Government Employees.[4][5] Leckey was endorsed by Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Min.) and Brand New Congress.[6] Mermell received endorsements from Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund.[7] Khazei was endorsed by Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and the Italian American Democratic Leadership Council.[8] Grossman was endorsed by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.).[9]
As of June 30, Khazei led the field in fundraising with $1,620,362, followed by Auchincloss with $1,386,569, Leckey with $963,753, Mermell with $834,317, and Grossman with $824,134.[10] As of August 12, Leckey had reported $1,000,000 in campaign self-funding, Grossman had reported $429,700, and Auchincloss had reported $150,000.[11]
Open Secrets listed two top independent expenditures in the race. The first was Women Vote!, a political action committee affiliated with EMILY's List, which spent $485,972 to oppose Khazei and Auchincloss. The second was Experienced Leadership Matters PAC, which spent $420,852 in support of Auchincloss’ campaign.[12]
Ben Sigel was also running in the primary. Dave Cavell and Chris Zannetos also appeared on the ballot although they withdrew from the race. Both withdrawn candidates endorsed Jesse Mermell.[13][14]
All seven candidates in this primary completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection Survey. Click here to view their responses.
Click on candidate names below to view their key messages:
 Auchincloss |
 Grossman |
 Khazei |
 Leckey |
 Linos |
 Mermell |
 Sigel |
This page focuses on Massachusetts' 4th Congressional District Democratic primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Republican primary and the general election, see the following pages:
- Massachusetts' 4th Congressional District election, 2020 (September 1 Republican primary)
- Massachusetts' 4th Congressional District election, 2020
Election procedure changes in 2020
Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.
Massachusetts modified its primary election process as follows:
- Voting procedures: Mail-in ballot applications to all voters in the state's September 1 primary election.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Candidates and election results
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Massachusetts District 4
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jake Auchincloss  | 22.4 | 35,361 |
 | Jesse Mermell | 21.0 | 33,216 | |
 | Becky Grossman | 18.1 | 28,578 | |
 | Natalia Linos | 11.6 | 18,364 | |
 | Ihssane Leckey | 11.1 | 17,539 | |
 | Alan Khazei | 9.1 | 14,440 | |
 | Chris Zannetos (Unofficially withdrew) | 3.3 | 5,135 | |
 | Dave Cavell (Unofficially withdrew) | 1.6 | 2,498 | |
 | Ben Sigel | 1.6 | 2,465 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 242 | ||
| Total votes: 157,838 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Deb Goldberg (D)
- Herb Robinson (D)
- Nick Matthew (D)
- Thomas Shack III (D)
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways. Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey or Ballotpedia staff created a profile after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[15] Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
Newton City Council (Assumed office: 2016)
Submitted Biography: "Jake Auchincloss, 32, is a current Newton city councilor and a former Marine captain. He has degrees in economics and finance from Harvard and MIT and has managed teams at both a cybersecurity startup and a Fortune 100, where he focused on transportation. In the Marines, Jake commanded platoons in Afghanistan and Panama. As a city councilor, he has worked with friends and opponents alike to deliver results on education, immigration, housing, and transportation. In the business sector, he has guided teams through uncertainty to success. Jake is the only candidate in the race with experience across the military, local government, and business. He is ready to deliver results, on Day 1, for the people of Massachusetts."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Massachusetts District 4 in 2020.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: Newton City Council (Assumed office: 2018)
Submitted Biography: "I'm currently an At-Large City Councilor in Newton, MA, the second biggest city in Massachusetts' 4th Congressional District. But the job I cherish most is being mom to my two young kids - Madeleine, who's 8, and Jack, who's 5. I'm running for Congress with the fierce urgency of a mom who is fed up by what's going on in this country and determined to make a change. I wake up every day thinking about the world we're leaving for all of our kids and for generations to come. The NRA continues to threaten our kids' safety at school as well as our streets and households. Our planet is in serious peril. Drug companies are charging thousands of dollars for prescription drugs that people like my mom need to stay alive. And Donald Trump is tearing up Obamacare relentlessly attacking women's choice. And as a mom to two young kids, I can't accept that. If there was ever a time to step up and fight, it's now. Out of 435 members of Congress, only 25 are moms of school-aged children. I believe that if we had 100 (or 250!) moms of young kids in Congress, it would change the conversation in Washington completely - from combatting the climate emergency, to tackling gun violence, to implementing policies like universal pre-K that we know families need to get their kids on the right track. "
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Massachusetts District 4 in 2020.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "I got my start creating service organizations that bring Americans from all walks of life to solve problems. I founded City Year and was central to founding and saving the AmeriCorps national service program."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Massachusetts District 4 in 2020.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "I came to the U.S. from Morocco at the age of 20 with nothing but a small suitcase. I worked sub-minimum wage jobs, where I faced sexual harassment and wage theft, and scraped every dollar I made to put myself through community college. I ultimately earned a scholarship to Boston University and became the first person in my family to graduate from college. In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, I was disgusted to see our government hand out blank checks to giant banks, leaving people hungry and homeless. I became a Wall Street regulator at the Federal Reserve, where I took on the biggest corporations on behalf of the American people. As an immigrant who struggled through poverty and as the only woman of color in this race, the fight for social, economic, environmental and racial justice is personal to me. I'm running to fight for working families and bring real change to a system run by corrupt special interests and wealthy white men for too long. We need leaders who represent our diversity and our courage, who aren't afraid to take on corrupt special interests and who know how to get it done."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Massachusetts District 4 in 2020.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "I'm a first-generation American, a mom of three, and a social epidemiologist. I've spent my career working to reduce the social and economic inequities that plague our country and to fight for healthy communities, healthy families, and a healthy planet. From serving as science advisor to New York City's Health Commissioner during the Ebola epidemic and working to improve mental health, to many years as a policymaker at the United Nations advancing women's rights and combating climate change, I have a proven track record as someone who can lead the fight for change. I am running for Congress because the people of Massachusetts's District 4 and the United States deserve science-based leadership they can trust. As an epidemiologist, I bring a unique perspective and the experience needed to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure that we protect both lives and livelihoods. I pledge to work tirelessly to undo the unfair policies that have created soaring inequalities in America, and to use my experience over the past decade in public service to ensure that prosperity is shared by all rather than hoarded by a few."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Massachusetts District 4 in 2020.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
Brookline Select Board (2007-2013)
Submitted Biography: "Jesse Mermell has spent her life taking on the toughest fights - both big and small - to serve Massachusetts and turn our progressive values into reality. From the front lines as a leader at Planned Parenthood and local elected official to the halls of the State House as a senior adviser to Governor Deval Patrick, Jesse is a public servant with a record of getting things done. She has successfully advocated on the most pressing issues facing our state and country alongside the state's progressive business leaders on behalf of policies to protect workers. She has rolled up her sleeves to tackle climate change and made the case for increased and equitable investments in transportation. For more than 20 years, Jesse's fights have been our fights - and she is ready to lead on them in Congress. Jesse knows firsthand the good that can come when we work together and put our progressive ideas into action. She's running for Congress to use her experience to fight Donald Trump's dangerous agenda and to fight for the future that everyone in Massachusetts' Fourth Congressional District deserves. Jesse is running for Congress to live, represent, and act on the values that her Grandma instilled in her decades ago: to give back to the community, to care about our neighbors, and to fight for others. "
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Massachusetts District 4 in 2020.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "Ben Sigel (he/him/his) is the proud Jewish son of a Puerto Rican mother and a father born in Worcester, Massachusetts. He was raised in Braintree, Massachusetts in a middle-class home. As one of the few Latino and Jewish kids in his public school, Ben experienced first-hand the effects of intolerance and prejudice. He quickly realized that these incidents were based on false pretenses and ignorance. This realization drove Ben to work to bring people together, build bridges and strengthen his community. "
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Massachusetts District 4 in 2020.
District analysis
- See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index
- See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores
The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was D+9, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 9 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made Massachusetts' 4th Congressional District the 128th most Democratic nationally.[16]
FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 1.18. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 1.18 points toward that party.[17]
Campaign finance
This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election.[18] It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees.[19] The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Auchincloss | Democratic Party | $2,873,219 | $2,415,437 | $457,782 | As of December 31, 2020 |
| Dave Cavell | Democratic Party | $424,266 | $424,266 | $0 | As of September 30, 2020 |
| Becky Grossman | Democratic Party | $1,471,157 | $1,457,688 | $13,469 | As of December 31, 2020 |
| Alan Khazei | Democratic Party | $1,915,856 | $1,908,337 | $7,519 | As of December 31, 2020 |
| Ihssane Leckey | Democratic Party | $2,159,988 | $2,130,518 | $29,470 | As of December 31, 2020 |
| Natalia Linos | Democratic Party | $460,096 | $460,096 | $0 | As of October 15, 2020 |
| Jesse Mermell | Democratic Party | $1,238,828 | $1,228,574 | $10,254 | As of December 31, 2020 |
| Ben Sigel | Democratic Party | $317,602 | $317,489 | $113 | As of September 30, 2020 |
| Chris Zannetos | Democratic Party | $975,571 | $969,428 | $1,104 | As of December 31, 2020 |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2020. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
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Primaries in Massachusetts
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Massachusetts utilizes a semi-closed primary system. An unaffiliated voter is allowed to vote in the primary election of his or her choice.[20][21]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
What's at stake in the general election?
U.S. House elections were held on November 3, 2020, and coincided with the 2020 presidential election. All 435 House districts were up for election, and the results determined control of the U.S. House in the 117th Congress.
At the time of the election, Democrats had a 232-197 advantage over Republicans. There was one Libertarian member, and there were five vacancies. Republicans needed to gain a net 21 seats to win control of the House. Democrats needed to gain seats or lose fewer than 14 net seats to keep their majority.
In the 2018 midterm election, Democrats had a net gain of 40 seats, winning a 235-200 majority in the House. Heading into the 2018 election, Republicans had a 235-193 majority with seven vacancies.
In the 25 previous House elections that coincided with a presidential election, the president's party had gained House seats in 16 elections and lost seats in nine. In years where the president's party won districts, the average gain was 18. In years where the president's party lost districts, the average loss was 27. Click here for more information on presidential partisanship and down-ballot outcomes.
General election race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[22]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[23][24][25]
| Race ratings: Massachusetts' 4th Congressional District election, 2020 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| November 3, 2020 | October 27, 2020 | October 20, 2020 | October 13, 2020 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season. | |||||||||
District analysis
- See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index
- See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores
The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was D+9, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 9 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made Massachusetts' 4th Congressional District the 128th most Democratic nationally.[26]
FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 1.18. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 1.18 points toward that party.[27]
District election history
2018
General election
General election for U.S. House Massachusetts District 4
Incumbent Joseph Kennedy III won election in the general election for U.S. House Massachusetts District 4 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Joseph Kennedy III (D) | 97.7 | 245,289 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 2.3 | 5,727 | ||
| Total votes: 251,016 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Massachusetts District 4
Incumbent Joseph Kennedy III defeated Gary Rucinski in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Massachusetts District 4 on September 4, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Joseph Kennedy III | 93.4 | 60,214 |
 | Gary Rucinski | 6.6 | 4,240 | |
| Total votes: 64,454 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2016
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Democratic. Incumbent Joseph Kennedy III (D) defeated David Rosa (R) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Neither candidate faced a primary opponent in September.[28][29]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Joseph Kennedy III Incumbent |
70.1% | 265,823 | |
| Republican | David Rosa | 29.8% | 113,055 | |
| N/A | Write-in | 0.1% | 335 | |
| Total Votes | 379,213 | |||
| Source: Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth | ||||
2014
The 4th Congressional District of Massachusetts held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Joseph Kennedy III (D) won an uncontested general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joe Kennedy Incumbent |
72.1% | 184,158 | |
| Write-in | Other | 1.5% | 3,940 | |
| Blank | None | 26.3% | 67,199 | |
| Total Votes | 255,297 | |||
| Source: Massachusetts Secretary of State Official Results | ||||
See also
- Massachusetts' 4th Congressional District election, 2020 (September 1 Republican primary)
- Massachusetts' 4th Congressional District election, 2020
- United States House elections in Massachusetts, 2020 (September 1 Democratic primaries)
- United States House elections in Massachusetts, 2020 (September 1 Republican primaries)
- United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2020
- United States House Republican Party primaries, 2020
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2020
- U.S. House battlegrounds, 2020
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ To appear on the ballot in Massachusetts, prospective candidates must submit nomination papers for certification to the registrars of the cities or towns in which signatures were collected and to the Secretary of the Commonwealth. The local filing deadline must occur four weeks prior to the candidate's second filing deadline with the Secretary of the Commonwealth. In 2020, the local-level filing deadline was May 5 and the state-level filing deadline was June 2. Click here to learn more.
- ↑ NBC 10 Boston, "Massachusetts' 4th District Primary ‘Is Going to Be Really, Really Close'," August 7, 2020
- ↑ WPRI, "8 Democrats running to succeed Kennedy debate tonight at Stonehill," August 18, 2020
- ↑ Jake Auchincloss 2020 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed August 21, 2020
- ↑ The Boston Globe, "The Globe endorses Jake Auchincloss," July 31, 2020
- ↑ Ihssane Leckey 2020 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed August 21, 2020
- ↑ Jesse Mermell campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed August 21, 2020
- ↑ [https://alankhazei.com/endorsements/ Alan Khazei 2020 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed August 21, 2020
- ↑ [https://beckygrossman.com/endorsements Becky Grossman 2020 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed August 21, 2020
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Massachusetts - House District 04," accessed August 21, 2020
- ↑ The Boston Globe, "A stream of personal wealth is defining, and dividing, the Democratic race for Kennedy seat," August 15, 2020
- ↑ Open Secrets, "Massachusetts District 04 Race - Outside Spending," accessed August 21, 2020
- ↑ Boston.com, "Dave Cavell drops out of 4th District race — backing one candidate in the hopes of blocking another," August 13, 2020
- ↑ The Boston Globe, "Zannetos becomes 2nd Democrat to drop out of primary for Kennedy seat," August 26, 2020
- ↑ Candidate Connection surveys completed before September 26, 2019, were not used to generate candidate profiles. In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
- ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
- ↑ Fundraising by primary candidates can be found on the race's respective primary election page. Fundraising by general election candidates can be found on the race's general election page.
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2022 Quarterly Reports," accessed March 2, 2022
- ↑ NCSL, "State Primary Election Types," accessed October 3, 2024
- ↑ Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "How to Vote in a Primary," accessed October 3, 2024
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
- ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
- ↑ Massachusetts Secretary of State, "Democratic candidates for nomination" accessed June 15, 2016
- ↑ Massachusetts Secretary of State, "Republican candidates for nomination," accessed June 15, 2016
