3 races to watch in this week's sleepy Massachusetts state primary

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Happy Labor Day — and Massachusetts state primary eve.

We wouldn’t judge if this year’s primary snuck up on you. It’s particularly sleepy; there aren’t a ton of open statewide races like in 2022 or contentious congressional primaries like 2020.

And yet, there very well may be a contested race in your community, even if it’s flown under the radar all summer. Click over to our full primary guide for an overview of the races and how to vote.

Here are three in particular we’re following:

Who’s voting: Any voter in the state who pulls a Republican ballot.

Who’s on the ballot: Veteran and attorney John Deaton, Quincy City Councilor Ian Cain and software engineer Bob Antonellis

What should I know: Whoever wins this race goes on to face incumbent U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who is seeking her third term (and heavily favored to win).

Antonellis is the only Donald Trump supporter among the three candidates, while Deaton and Cain have run as more moderate Republicans. All three have made immigration a big focus on their campaigns — with Deaton being the only candidate who says he would have voted for the bipartisan Senate border deal that collapsed earlier this year; Cain and Antonellis both criticized it as too liberal.

Watch the debate: Republicans make a case for why they should face Warren in Massachusetts Senate race (CBS Boston)

Who’s voting: Any voter in Boston, Chelsea, Revere or Winthrop who pulls a Democratic ballot.

Who’s on the ballot: Boston City Councilor Erin Murphy and public defender Allison Cartwright

What should I know: The SJC clerk for Suffolk County is a relatively behind-the-scenes (if also well-paid) job, with a hand in managing the caseload of the state’s top court, lawyer discipline and bar admission. With no Republican running, whoever wins the Democratic primary is a virtual lock to win in November.

The race has become a proxy battle between Boston’s emergent progressive establishment (who support Cartwright) and old-school moderates (who back Murphy). The two candidates have also debated whether being a lawyer is important for the job.

It’s also worth noting that, if Murphy wins, her at-large City Council seat would likely be filled by Bridget Nee-Walsh, a “right of center” ironworker who finished fifth in last year’s election.

Further reading: Few know what an SJC clerk does — but it’s the hottest local political race in town (WBUR)

Who’s voting: Any voter in third Governor’s Council district (i.e. Boston’s northwest suburbs) who pulls a Democratic ballot.

Who’s on the ballot: Incumbent Governor’s Council member Marilyn Petitto Devaney and lawyer Mara Dolan

What should I know: Yes, it’s another obscure race. The Governor’s Council — made up of eight, part-time members — really only comes into play when they’re called to approve the governor’s judicial nominees or pardon recommendations.

Incumbent members — like Devaney — haven’t lost in a decade. But she almost did in 2022, when Dolan’s first challenge came within 2%. In this year’s rematch, the lawyer and longtime Democratic operative has racked up a number of high-profile endorsements, including from the Boston Globe editorial board, several members of Congress and a number of Devaney’s current and former colleagues.

Dolan says she’d bring a public defender’s perspective and more professionalism to the panel. (Devaney has been at the center of multiple shouting matches with colleagues, as well as alleged curling iron and dime throwing incidents, respectively.) Devaney, meanwhile, points to her record fighting for more transparency on the council.

Further reading: The most interesting part of your 2024 ballot could deal with this obscure panel (CommonWealth Beacon)