Don't sleep on tomorrow's primary

Also: State House races to watch; how Marty Walsh helped vet Harris' running mate Also: State House races to watch; how Marty Walsh helped vet Harris' running mate [❤️ Donate]( [View in Browser](  Editor's note: Today's newsletter is a special primary preview in place of your WBUR Today. We'll be back with your usual rundown tomorrow morning. In the meantime, get more local politics news like this in your inbox for the rest of the election season by [signing up for Mass. Politics here.]( What exactly is at stake in tomorrow's election? 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: Senate Republican primary 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) Democratic primary for the Supreme Judicial Court Clerk for Suffolk County 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) Democratic primary for the third Governor's Council district 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) Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters  🤓 Trivia time: Only two sitting Massachusetts congressmen have lost in a primary in the last three decades. Can you name them? Scroll to the bottom of this email for the answer.  All Politics Is Local [Beacon Hill lawmakers face little competition. But there are some races to watch]( Sitting lawmakers who want another two-year term more often than not cruise to reelection without breaking a sweat — or even facing a single opponent — but there are pockets of competition. [Read more.]( [Beacon Hill lawmakers face little competition. But there are some races to watch]( Sitting lawmakers who want another two-year term more often than not cruise to reelection without breaking a sweat — or even facing a single opponent — but there are pockets of competition. [Read more.]( [Former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh on his work with Harris and Walz]( Former Mayor of Boston Marty Walsh spoke with WBUR about his relationship with Vice President Kamala Harris, the challenges facing the Democratic party and whether he has plans to return to public office. [Read more.]( [Former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh on his work with Harris and Walz]( Former Mayor of Boston Marty Walsh spoke with WBUR about his relationship with Vice President Kamala Harris, the challenges facing the Democratic party and whether he has plans to return to public office. [Read more.]( [U.S. Sen. JD Vance pitches the GOP as the party of American workers at firefighters' convention]( A day after Tim Walz got a warm reception at the convention, Vance made his own pitch to the group. The IAFF union backed President Biden in the last election, but has yet to endorse a candidate this year. [Read more.]( [U.S. Sen. JD Vance pitches the GOP as the party of American workers at firefighters' convention]( A day after Tim Walz got a warm reception at the convention, Vance made his own pitch to the group. The IAFF union backed President Biden in the last election, but has yet to endorse a candidate this year. [Read more.]( ['Crisis pregnancy centers' sue Mass. for campaign targeting their anti-abortion practices]( A conservative law firm is suing Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey over an initiative the state launched earlier this summer targeting “crisis pregnancy centers” that Healey calls strictly “anti-abortion.” [Read more.]( ['Crisis pregnancy centers' sue Mass. for campaign targeting their anti-abortion practices]( A conservative law firm is suing Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey over an initiative the state launched earlier this summer targeting “crisis pregnancy centers” that Healey calls strictly “anti-abortion.” [Read more.]( Nationalize It [Harris explains her policy shifts and Day 1 plan in 1st sit-down interview as nominee]( The wide-ranging conversation was a high-stakes moment for Harris, after she had faced mounting pressure to do a major news outlet interview and take questions on her prior positions, some of which have changed since she became President Biden's running mate in 2020. [Read more.]( [Harris explains her policy shifts and Day 1 plan in 1st sit-down interview as nominee]( The wide-ranging conversation was a high-stakes moment for Harris, after she had faced mounting pressure to do a major news outlet interview and take questions on her prior positions, some of which have changed since she became President Biden's running mate in 2020. [Read more.]( [Army says Arlington National Cemetery worker was 'pushed aside' by Trump aides]( The statement Thursday comes in response to NPR's reporting on former President Donald Trump's visit to Arlington and an altercation his staff had with a cemetery employee. [Read more.]( [Army says Arlington National Cemetery worker was 'pushed aside' by Trump aides]( The statement Thursday comes in response to NPR's reporting on former President Donald Trump's visit to Arlington and an altercation his staff had with a cemetery employee. [Read more.]( [What Biden’s tariffs on Chinese EVs and other products mean for U.S. consumers, jobs]( President Biden and former President Donald Trump have both embraced tariffs on foreign imports. We asked economist Sanjay Patnaik of the nonpartisan Brookings Institution what tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and other products mean for the U.S. [Read more.]( [What Biden’s tariffs on Chinese EVs and other products mean for U.S. consumers, jobs]( President Biden and former President Donald Trump have both embraced tariffs on foreign imports. We asked economist Sanjay Patnaik of the nonpartisan Brookings Institution what tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and other products mean for the U.S. [Read more.]( [The GOP is making false claims about noncitizens voting. It’s affecting real voters]( As the election nears, false rhetoric about noncitizen voting is having a real impact as some GOP officials are scrutinizing voter rolls and questioning some voters’ registrations. [Read more.]( [The GOP is making false claims about noncitizens voting. It’s affecting real voters]( As the election nears, false rhetoric about noncitizen voting is having a real impact as some GOP officials are scrutinizing voter rolls and questioning some voters’ registrations. [Read more.](  🎧 Radio Boston | ['Yes in My Backyard' housing politics on the rise within the Democratic party]( Kamala Harris' convention speech focus on America's housing shortage was a new note for Democratic politics on such a big stage. How are those words resonating here in Massachusetts? Radio Boston talks with two local elected leaders for their take. [Listen to the conversation.](  What We're Reading - In Cambridge rep race, a liberal showdown ([CommonWealth Beacon]( - Two Democrats compete to replace Marc Pacheco in state Senate ([The New Bedford Light]( - Meet the candidates vying to represent parts of Brookline and Newton at the State House ([Brookline.News]( Ideas and Opinion [Voter registration in hospitals is the new frontier in health care]( Voting isn't just a civic duty, write Alister Martin and Aliya Bhatia. It's a social determinant of health. [Read more.]( [Voter registration in hospitals is the new frontier in health care]( Voting isn't just a civic duty, write Alister Martin and Aliya Bhatia. It's a social determinant of health. [Read more.]( 🤓 This week's trivia answer: Mike Capuano (who [was unseated in 2018 by Rep. Ayanna Pressley]( and John Tierney (who was [ousted in 2014 by Rep. Seth Moulton](. ✍️ Have a local politics tip? Reply to this email or reach out to state politics reporter Walter Wuthmann directly at wuthmann@bu.edu. 📬 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.](  [Donate](  # # Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences](.  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here](. Trustees of Boston University on behalf of WBUR, 890 Commonwealth Ave Boston, MA, 02215, US Copyright 2024 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.