PACs Report Nearly $130,000 in Support of Decker’s Reelection Bid

Days before the Sept. 1 Democratic primary, a super PAC backing Representative Marjorie C. Decker’s reelection bid reported nearly $108,000 in advertising and other campaign activity, bringing reported outside support for Decker to nearly $130,000.

The Progressive Cambridge Independent Expenditure PAC — which is supporting Decker’s campaign — was established in July, drawing six figures in donations in less than two months. The group describes the seven-term incumbent as “a fighter” and has thrown its weight behind her “because Cambridge needs her back in the State House to keep doing this work.”

The PAC has reported nearly $108,000 in advertising and other campaign activity supporting Decker — including mailers, digital advertisements, staff time, and a mobile billboard truck operating around Cambridge’s 25th Middlesex district.

Progressive Cambridge has raised $120,000 since July 29. Its largest donor so far has been another super PAC: the Boston Opportunity IE-PAC, which gave Progressive Cambridge $85,000. Boston Opportunity reported an ending balance of roughly $203,000 in both 2024 and 2025; its last reported expenditure was in December 2023.

The other two backers, SEIU Local 509 and Massachusetts State Council SEIU, contributed $10,000 and $25,000, respectively, to Progressive Cambridge. Both labor organizations have donated directly to Decker in past elections.

Progressive Cambridge’s support gives Decker, whose campaign has raised about $204,000, a last-minute boost as she faces one of the most consequential elections of her career.

Decker, who has held the seat since 2013, is again facing the first serious challenger of her State House career. Evan C. MacKay ’19 came within 41 votes of unseating her in 2024 and has mounted another serious bid this cycle.

So far, five other PACs have also thrown their weight behind Decker, including the Massachusetts Nurses Association, 1199 SEIU Massachusetts PAC, and Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts IE-PAC. Combined with Progressive Cambridge, outside groups have reported almost $128,000 supporting Decker.

Though Progressive Cambridge’s platform is dedicated to supporting Decker’s reelection bid, super PACs are not allowed to coordinate directly with candidates. Decker wrote in a statement to The Crimson that her campaign “had no prior knowledge of this PAC or its activities.”

Though Decker and MacKay have both raised six figures, she added that she strongly believes in getting outside money out of politics.

During a July 9 candidate forum — a day after the Progressive Cambridge PAC was established — MacKay called on Decker to sign the People’s Pledge, a resolution from the Cambridge Democratic City Committee calling on candidates to reject support from “dark money groups and Super PACs.”

The pledge only goes into effect if all of the candidates vying for a position sign onto it, according to a copy obtained by The Crimson.

Decker did not commit to signing the agreement. Juliana O’Neil, Decker’s campaign manager, said the campaign never received a copy of the pledge and that Decker “strongly supports campaign finance reform.”

MacKay called the substantial outside spending supporting Decker “incredibly sad” and said the groups were not spending to support Cambridge politics, but rather to back a larger cause.

“Are they spending so much money because they just really care about what’s happening in Porter Square that they just love Harvard Square? No — this is about them wanting to defend this political system on Beacon Hill,” MacKay said.

With just days until the election, reported outside support for Decker far exceeds that for MacKay. MacKay’s campaign has raised about $103,000 and has seen backing from the Massachusetts Teachers’ Association IE-PAC, which reported $8,000 in digital advertisements.

—Staff writer Shawn A. Boehmer can be reached at [email protected] and on Signal at shawnb.18. Follow him on X @ShawnBoehmer.