Decker Holds 505-Vote Lead Over MacKay in Unofficial Primary Results

Incumbent state Representative Marjorie C. Decker held a 505-vote lead over progressive labor organizer Evan C. MacKay ’19 as of 2:15 a.m., according to an unofficial vote count released by the Cambridge Election Commission.

The unofficial tally showed Decker with 4,104 votes to MacKay’s 3,599, with nine write-ins.

The two candidates hosted watch parties in Central Square, both of which drew to a close around midnight without a result. The Election Commission received ballots from the final Cambridge precinct shortly after 1 a.m. Wednesday and released an unofficial count just over an hour later.

Reached by phone, a spokesperson for Decker campaign declined to comment on the preliminary results. A spokesperson for MacKay’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request to comment.

The two campaigns took a cautious approach to the night — a reversal for MacKay, who declared victory on Election Day two years ago while leading by 40 votes. After remaining ballots were counted the next day, Decker pulled ahead by 41 votes.

At their campaign event Tuesday night, MacKay did not rule out seeking a recount. Decker’s campaign began preparing for one, circulating forms in the first hour of her 8 p.m. watch party. to collect the 38 signatures needed to initiate a recount.

A Decker victory, if confirmed, would give the incumbent a far more comfortable win than in her first face-off against MacKay in 2024, when she held on to her seat by just 41-votes after a recount.

Spirits were high at both events at their kick offs, though both candidates acknowledged that the race would likely not be called before the end of the night, instead thanking their supporters before leaving their events.

Decker sustained a well-funded, sharp campaign, impressing upon voters the legislative wins she has under her belt after 13 years in the State House. Facing a second-round challenge from the first competitor of her time in the legislature, the incumbent canvassed profusely across the district and online.

If Wednesday morning’s results hold, Decker will return for her eighth consecutive term in the legislature. In the last legislative session, Decker served as the chair of the Joint Committee on Public Health. Across her 13 years in office, Decker has led on bills that protected and expanded abortion access, strengthened gun control laws, and access to mental health services.

Decker’s win would also bring a dramatic conclusion to a bitter race that drew personal attacks and more than one hundred of thousands of dollars in outside spending, much of it in support of Decker.

Decker both drastically outraised MacKay individually, and saw her bid supported by nearly $140,000 in PAC spending. The most generous funder, Progressive Cambridge, was filed in July — with the goal of boosting Decker’s reelection effort.

MacKay prided themselves on the grassroots nature of their campaign, but the pledge may have ultimately led to their second political shortcoming — in a race defined by cash.

As the campaign trail continued to wind, the candidates’ messaging morphed from a comparison of policy priorities to attacks on each other’s backgrounds and professional records.

Decker repeatedly championed her legislative experience, while simultaneously taking jabs at MacKay’s status as a Harvard graduate student, criticizing them for lacking experience as an elected official. The Representative’s incumbency was central to her campaign messaging, as Decker prided herself on her relationship with other legislators and repeatedly questioned how MacKay would follow through on their legislative promises as a “lone legislator.”

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

—Staff writer Claire A. Michal can be reached at [email protected] and on Signal at ClaireMichal.154.