The Gray Men Hold On: Why Experience Still Counts in Politics

The recent Massachusetts primary results have been touted as a victory for experience over youth, with two veteran Democratic Representatives, Stephen Lynch and Richard Neal, outlasting their progressive challengers. Beneath this narrative of generational change lies a more complex reality: the enduring power of incumbency and the limitations of “new blood” in politics.

Lynch’s win is particularly notable, given his opponent Patrick Roath’s significant fundraising advantage and the endorsement of influential groups like The Boston Globe editorial board. Yet despite these advantages, Roath failed to capitalize on the discontent with Washington that has driven many primary challenges this year. His campaign focused on progressive policy proposals – “Medicare for All,” abolishing ICE, restricting military aid to Israel – but ultimately proved insufficient to overcome Lynch’s decades-long relationships with unions and other fixtures in the district.

Neal’s victory over teacher Jeromie Whalen offers a similar lesson. While Whalen’s campaign highlighted the need for “new blood” and attacked Neal’s record on issues like ICE and military aid, it was unable to overcome the incumbent’s deep connections within the district and his significant fundraising advantage.

Incumbency provides a significant advantage in politics: those who have held office before tend to have an easier time raising money, building relationships, and navigating Washington’s complexities. This can be particularly pronounced when challengers run against entrenched figures with decades-long careers in Congress – as was the case with Lynch and Neal.

The myth that “new blood” is automatically synonymous with progress or reform is also being challenged. Many of these younger, more progressive challengers have run on platforms that are little more than rehashed versions of Democratic Party orthodoxy. They offer voters little in the way of genuine change, instead relying on their age and perceived ideological purity to carry them over the finish line.

This phenomenon has been observed elsewhere this primary season, as voters took out their frustrations with Washington on incumbent lawmakers across party lines. The list of Democratic officeholders who have lost primary challenges this year is long, and many of these losses were to more moderate or centrist challengers rather than radical left-wingers.

The results suggest that experience will continue to count in Congress – at least until voters are convinced that their representatives are genuinely accountable to them. Progressive groups and activists should focus on building meaningful relationships with voters, developing policy solutions that address real needs, and holding incumbents accountable when they fail to deliver.

Lynch and Neal will likely continue to serve out their terms in Congress – at least until voters decide otherwise. As the party establishment’s standard-bearers in Massachusetts, they will be among those most closely watched in the coming years.