The 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Massachusetts were held on November 6, 2018, electing the nine U.S. representatives from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, one from each of the state's nine congressional districts. The elections coincided with the elections of other offices, including a gubernatorial election, other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate, and various state and local elections. The primary election for contested nominations was held on September 4, 2018.
On the night of the election, all nine races were declared in favor of the Democratic Party candidates. 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.
Results of the 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Massachusetts by district:
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 includes the state's highest point, Mount Greylock. The district includes the cities of Springfield, West Springfield, Pittsfield, Holyoke, and Westfield. The district had a PVI of D+12. The incumbent was Democrat Richard Neal, who had 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 fourth 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 had a PVI of D+13. The incumbent was Democrat Jim McGovern, who had 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 had a PVI of D+9. The incumbent was Democrat Niki Tsongas, who had 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 did not seek re-election in 2018.
Lori Trahan and Daniel Koh were separated by less than one half of one percent of the votes cast. Koh subsequently requested a recount, which confirmed Trahan's victory.
The 4th congressional district is located mostly in southern Massachusetts. It contains Bristol, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth and Worcester counties. The district had a PVI of D+9. The incumbent was Democrat Joe Kennedy III, who had represented the district since 2013. He was re-elected with 70% of the vote in 2016.
Kennedy was running for re-election. No Republicans filed to run.
The 5th congressional district is located in eastern Massachusetts. It contains Middlesex, Suffolk and Worcester counties. The district had a PVI of D+18. The incumbent was Democrat Katherine Clark, who had represented the district since winning a special election in 2013. She was re-elected unopposed with 99% of the vote in 2016.
John Hugo was a Republican candidate for the Massachusetts' 5th congressional district in Massachusetts who was running against Katherine Clark in the United States House of Representatives elections in Massachusetts, 2018. John Hugo was certified to appear on the ballot for the 2018 elections on May 17, 2018, to run against Katherine Clark.
The 6th congressional district is located in northeastern Massachusetts. It contains most of Essex County, including the North Shore and Cape Ann. The district had a PVI of D+6. The incumbent was Democrat Seth Moulton, who had represented the district since 2015. He was re-elected unopposed with 98% of the vote in 2016.
Joseph Schneider was running for the Republican nomination.
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 had a PVI of D+34. The incumbent was Democrat Mike Capuano, who had 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. The primary victory was a surprise, as the last poll before the election showed Capuano with a significant lead, 48% to 35%. Part of the reason the polls may have been inaccurate was 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.
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 was Democrat Stephen Lynch, who had represented the district since 2013, and previously represented the 9th district from 2001 to 2013. The district had a PVI of D+10. He was re-elected with 72% of the vote in 2016.
Lynch was running for re-election. No Republicans filed to run.
Two political newcomers ran against Lynch in the primary, video game developer Brianna Wu and pilot Christopher Voehl. No debates were held in this race.
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 had a PVI of D+4. The incumbent was Democrat Bill Keating, who had 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, announced that he planned to challenge Keating in the September primary. Cimbrelo previously ran for U.S. Senate against former senator Scott Brown in 2012 as an independent candidate.
Peter Tedeschi sought the Republican nomination; he is the former CEO of Tedeschi Food Shops.
Official campaign websites for first district candidates
Official campaign websites for second district candidates
Official campaign websites for third district candidates
Official campaign websites for fourth district candidates
Official campaign websites for fifth district candidates
Official campaign websites for sixth district candidates
Official campaign websites for seventh district candidates
Official campaign websites for eighth district candidates
Official campaign websites for ninth district candidates