Today is primary day in Massachusetts!


Of course, in the bluest of the blue states, nobody you know is under any serious threat.

But there are some interesting races going on.

You're probably aware of our governor, Maura Healey. She is not being primaried, except by her Republican challenger. A harmless fellow named Brian Shortsleeve is one of two candidates on the Republican ballot, and all of his campaign ads have been pretty much direct attack ads on the incumbent. That's great - except he's not running against her right now. He's got little to no traction statewide, although we have sent Republicans to the corner office in living memory.

Katherine Clark, representing my Fifth Congressional District, is being challenged by a young upstart named Jonathan Paz. A gentleman I know slightly from when he was on city council in Waltham. He's running on a strong anti-Trump and anti-ICE platform, where Katherine Clark is not. This city recently voted out some stealth MAGA candidates from city council, so we'll see how we do at a higher level.

Then there's the big one. I'm presuming this one has some national traction. 50-year veteran Ed Markey is facing a credible challenge by former congressman Seth Moulton. He is not without baggage, as he has made statements that suggest that he is personally opposed to transgender persons...yet politically he has co-sponsored the Transgender Bill of Rights and supports LGBTQ in the military, being a veteran. Seth though, has turned this election into a referendum on age, as Ed Markey is 80 years old, and has been in office since 1976.

In any case - I'll be voting around 4pm this afternoon on the way home, since I'm on my bus at 6:30 and can no longer try to be voter #1 in my precinct, as I have done for most of my adult life.