Incumbent Richard Neal and Jeromie Whalen are running in the Democratic primary for Massachusetts' 1st Congressional District on Sept. 1.

The election reflects nationwide trends of younger, more progressive Democrats challenging long-serving incumbents. The Boston Globe's Anjali Huynh writes, "As Democrats nationwide struggle to define their party identity, Massachusetts is confronting a rare phenomenon: a healthy number of primary challengers in congressional races often left uncontested. The 2026 congressional midterm field ... already features one of the largest slates of Democratic primary challengers in the last decade — an indication of party unrest in a state where incumbents rarely face threats from fellow Democrats."

Whalen, a 39-year-old communications and media production high school teacher, is running to the left of Neal. Whalen argues that Neal accepts corporate donations, is absent from the district, has served in Congress too long, and is not effective enough in his opposition to President Donald Trump's (R) administration.

Neal, 77 years old and first elected to Congress in 1988, is the ranking Democrat on the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee. He responded to Whalen's candidacy, saying, "We've had these before and I think it's an understanding that that's what the nominating process is about. So, we've been successful in the past and fully intend to be successful as we go into this next round."

Since Neal's election in 1988, he has chaired the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee (116th and 117th Congresses) and the Joint Committee on Taxation (117th Congress). Recent primary challenges from the left include Tahirah Amatul-Wadud in 2018 (70.7%-29.3%) and Alex Morse in 2020 (58.6%-41.2%). Neal's campaign says Neal is "fighting back against Donald Trump and Republicans’ reckless budget that slashes healthcare for working families to give tax breaks to the wealthy and add trillions to the deficit. ... [Neal] is laser-focused on holding Republicans accountable and taking back the House in 2026."

Whalen describes himself as a progressive and is campaigning on Medicare For All, the economy, education, a federal version of the Fair Share Amendment—a constitutional amendment in Massachusetts that funds transportation and public education via taxation on high-income households—and raising the federal minimum wage. Whalen says, "Whether teaching in the classroom, volunteering in the community, or mentoring young people, I’ve always worked to lift others up. ... I’m running to serve the people of this district, and as a public servant rather than a career politician, I can do so without corporate influence or the old-school political entanglements that got us into this mess to begin with."

As of July 8, The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales, and Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball rated the district Solid/Safe Democratic.