Dolan Upsets Devaney in Primary Rematch for Governor’s Council

Public defender Mara Dolan beat 25-year incumbent Marilyn P. Devaney in a rematch for Cambridge’s District 3 seat on the Governor’s Council during Tuesday’s primary elections, according to the Associated Press.

The close upset, which saw Dolan win 52 percent of the vote to Devaney’s 48 percent, was a reversal from 2022, where Devaney narrowly defeated Dolan by 1,658 votes in a uniquely tight race in Massachusetts’ primary elections

Dolan was propelled to victory in her second bid by endorsements from four of Devaney’s colleagues on the Governor’s Council: Terrence Kennedy, Joseph Ferreira, Paul DePalo, and Eileen Duff.

Dolan’s victory came alongside another stunning result in Cambridge, as former Harvard labor leader Evan C. MacKay ’19 ended the night with a 40-vote lead over State Rep. Marjorie C. Decker, another incumbent who had served more than 10 years in office. As of Wednesday morning, the AP had not called the race between Decker and MacKay.

In a post on X early Wednesday morning, Dolan declared victory and thanked her supporters.

“We did it!!!” she wrote. “Thanks to everyone who worked so hard on this campaign. I am incredibly proud to be your Democratic nominee.”

As a Councilor, Dolan will join seven representatives — including Kennedy, who ran unopposed in a district that includes parts of Cambridge — in advising Governor Maura T. Healey ’92 on “gubernatorial appointments, pardons and commutations, and warrants for the state treasury,” according to the state’s website.

With no candidates filing for the Republican nomination, Dolan is expected to win the general election and begin her term in January.

—Staff writer Avani B. Rai can be reached at avani.rai@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @avaniiiirai.