8th Congressional District: Roath and Lynch Q&A

Voters in the upcoming 8th Congressional District Democratic primary set for Tuesday Sept. 1, 2026, will choose between incumbent Stephen Lynch and challenger Patrick Roath. In separate interviews with the Bulletin Newspaper, each candidate outlined their views on some of the issues facing district voters.

While each support similar initiatives, Lynch believes his experience, compromise solutions, and leadership is the right approach during tough political times. Roath believes that democracy is under attack and more aggressive action is needed now to restore trust in government.

Lynch has represented the district since 2001. As a former public housing resident, union member, attorney and congressman, he said he believes his experience helps him to understand the concerns of the district’s citizens. He is seeking reelection to continue advancing district priorities through the committees on which he serves.

Roath, also an attorney, was born in Brockton and raised in Braintree and has worked on campaigns and served at the State House as an aide to Gov. Deval Patrick. He chaired the board of Common Cause Massachusetts, and pushed for expanded voting access, greater government transparency, and stronger accountability on Beacon Hill. He said he believes it is time for new leadership focused on protecting democracy and rebuilding the government to represent the people, not special interests.

Affordability is key for both candidates, particularly with housing. Lynch points to three major developments in which he has be involved in South Boston, the Ann Lynch Homes, the Mary Ellen McCormick, and the West Broadway development, a state development not a federal one.

“We’re knocking down the old ones and building new ones,” he said. As a founding member of the Affordable Housing Caucus and a member of the Financial Services Committee, he is also closely involved in general housing issues.

Roath is focused on how to finance homes in an expensive market.

“For our district, right around Boston here, the most important thing we can work on is making it more affordable for regular people … everything from financing and directly helping the development of affordable units across the country, to rewarding communities thinking about zoning and density the right way, helping people with first-time down payments.”

He supports converting empty offices into homes and building starter homes to increase access to affordable ownership.

Utility and energy costs are another big issue. “Unfortunately, because of what's going on in the Middle East and the restriction on the supply, a lot of the cost is just going sky high in terms of utility costs, especially with gas bills and things like that, said Lynch.”

He says President Trump’s tariffs have caused a 50 percent tariff on steel that makes construction very expensive.

“So, all the elements that we would use to produce affordable housing, the president has pushed the cost through the roof.”

He said reversing those would make it more affordable.

Roath believes the high cost of energy is a problem that can be solved by using renewable, clean energy sources that are also efficient.

“We now have technologies that can take solar energy, it can take wind, it can take geothermal, store it in batteries for part of the day and get it out to ratepayers in an efficient way.” Roath wants more money to go to cover heating costs during the winter.

Healthcare unavailability and high costs continue. Lynch cited the bankruptcy of the Steward Health Care system. “Private equity should not be running healthcare. We have to get back to a situation where we don't put any more money towards that and refocus on making sure that every federal dollar, whether it be Medicare or Medicaid, goes to providing good quality care for the people who need it.”

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Noting that Lynch voted against the Affordable Care Act, Roath agrees healthcare is a systemic problem “We need a big-picture solution … we need to be pushing towards universal health care … some manner of providing a basic level of support for everyone in the country that's accessible and is backed by the government that would bring down costs, to have that leveraging power with the government.”

Both agree the environment needs to be protected and improved. “You know, in my time in Congress, we've been able to clean up a lot of 21E sites (hazardous waste contaminated sites), not only along the maritime and industrial waterfront, but also in places like Walpole, where we had an old industrial firm that had contaminated a lot of the land there.”

Roath believes the long-term energy solution are clean and efficient resources that do not harm the environment. “We now have technologies that can take solar energy, it can take wind, it can take geothermal, store it in batteries for part of the day and get it out to ratepayers.” Roath supports pushing towards a zero-emission clean energy future.

When asked, both want change in Congress. Lynch thinks the ideal would be groups of new members, those who have some years in and those with a history of getting things done. “It takes a while to build relationships on the other side, and sometimes the benefits that accrue to my district are because of relationships that we have on the other side. But right now, “all you can do is fight.”

Roath believes in a strong Democratic opposition party. “Part of what we need to do as Democrats is do a better job of talking about what we're for and how we have a different vision than the other side, about how we care about making sure everyone can live the American dream.”

Roath is not taking corporate PAC money and is in favor of term limits.

The Massachusetts League of Women Voters is expected to host a candidate forum between Lynch and Roath in early August.