THE MASS BRIEF

Monday, July 20, 2026

Good morning. Jury selection starts today in one of the most difficult trials Massachusetts has seen in years, gas prices are creeping back toward $4 as the Iran conflict grinds on, and there's a lot happening south of Boston this week. Let's get into it.

THE LEAD

The Markey-Moulton primary has a progressive-enthusiasm problem — and it's not who you'd think.

While young insurgent Democrats are knocking off establishment incumbents from Brooklyn to Boulder, Massachusetts' marquee Senate primary between 80-year-old incumbent Ed Markey and 47-year-old Congressman Seth Moulton has left plenty of Bay State liberals cold. The complaint, echoed from convention floors to Discord servers: Markey's the recognized progressive but is pushing 81; Moulton's younger but reads as too centrist for a base that's increasingly hungry for fire, not just seniority.

This isn't a fringe gripe. Wilmington School Committee member Nicholas Golden, 32, told the Globe he's backing Markey but really wanted Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley to jump in — she flirted with a challenge before ultimately endorsing the incumbent. That "what if" is exactly the energy fueling races elsewhere, and its absence here says something real about how Massachusetts Democrats, despite the state's deep-blue reputation, keep producing top-of-ticket races that feel more generational-succession-plan than movement politics.

Why it matters: Markey has leaned hard into his climate-warrior, Green New Deal legacy to fend off the "he's too old" critique, while Moulton keeps trying to thread a needle between military-veteran moderate and next-gen alternative — a pitch that isn't quite landing with the loudest voices on the left. Watch for outside progressive groups (Justice Democrats, Sunrise, etc.) to either finally wade in with real money, or sit this one out entirely, which would be its own kind of statement about where Massachusetts fits in the national progressive map right now. Full story at Boston Globe →

WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW

Body found near Pressley's husband's Mattapan property died of gunshot wound. Police say the person found dead Saturday inside a rental property owned by Conan Harris, husband of Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, died of a single gunshot wound; the victim was "known to the Commonwealth," and Boston Police's homicide unit is investigating. The house on Malta Street is currently on the market for $1.15 million. WBZ / CBS Boston →

Lindsay Clancy murder trial opens today with jury selection. More than three years after prosecutors say the Duxbury mother strangled her three young children — Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months — the trial is finally getting underway, with 18 jurors expected to be seated for a case that could run 6 to 8 weeks and feature over 200 witnesses. Clancy's defense is expected to argue severe postpartum depression and medication overload. Boston.com →

Immigration courts are being flooded with "mega masters" hearings, and advocates say that's the point. At Chelmsford Immigration Court, judges are now seeing 100+ cases in a single morning — several times normal caseload — as the Trump administration tries to clear its backlog fast. Lawyers say the compressed timelines mean legitimate asylum claims are getting steamrolled, with people who had hearings scheduled two years out suddenly summoned on days' notice. WBUR →

Healey wants to cap ticket resale prices at 110% of face value. Inspired partly by Noah Kahan's four sold-out Fenway shows and his advocacy in Vermont, Governor Maura Healey is folding the "Great Divide Act" into her closeout supplemental budget — meaning a $100 ticket couldn't resell for more than $110. State Sen. Dylan Fernandes filed the original bill last month. Boston.com →

TSA workers in New England are bracing for privatization under Trump's pick to run the agency. David Cummins, a former Serco executive, told senators the push to expand private airport security contractors is "pro-worker," but Mike Gayzagian, who heads the union representing TSA staff in New England, isn't buying it. Logan Airport screeners are watching closely. WBUR →

Phil Eng isn't giving up his double duty at MassDOT and the T anytime soon. Both Eng and Healey say there's no timeline for splitting the transportation secretary and MBTA general manager roles he's held simultaneously — a structure that's drawn scrutiny given the sheer scope of running both agencies at once. MassLive →

WORTH YOUR ATTENTION

Full budget details →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Big Spending This Week

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

PACs

• Boston Leads Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/16/2026
• Results for Norfolk County Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/15/2026

OCPF →

ONE MORE THING

The Mass Brief publishes every morning. Got a tip or a story we should know about? Just hit reply.

The Mass Brief • Powered by South Shore News

Get The Mass Brief every morning

Massachusetts politics, development, and daily life — straight to your inbox.

Powered by South Shore News