--- title: "McGovern: 2026 Massachusetts’ 2nd District race" url: "https://www.2026election.com/race/2026-house-ma-02" updated: "2026-09-02" source: "Candidates' campaign sites and Ballotpedia, quoted verbatim" publisher: "Pluribus" --- # 2026 Massachusetts’ 2nd District race: Jim McGovern (D) Rating: Safe D · Election: November 3, 2026 · Ballot checked: October 9, 2026 · Positions captured: September 2, 2026 The 2026 election for Massachusetts' 2nd Congressional District features Democratic incumbent Jim McGovern running unopposed by any Republican candidate on the ballot, guaranteeing the district to the Democratic Party. McGovern advanced from the September 1, 2026, Democratic primary and moves on to the November 3, 2026, general election. The race hinges on McGovern's extensive legislative record in Congress on issues ranging from hunger relief and agriculture to foreign policy, human rights, and campaign finance reform. ## Candidates - **Jim McGovern** (Democrat) · [Campaign site](https://www.jimmcgovern.com) · [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jim_McGovern_%28Massachusetts%29) - No Republican nominee ## Issues ### Agriculture, Food Security, and Hunger Relief Salience: high **Jim McGovern:** Expands food assistance and agricultural support McGovern is a leading national advocate for ending hunger and promoting food security, serving on the House Agriculture Committee and its Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture. He opposes cuts or expanded work requirements for SNAP benefits and advocates for direct federal disaster aid to support local farms. - Participated in a SNAP challenge, feeding himself for a week on an average benefit budget of $4.50 per day. - Voted against the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 and Limit, Save, Grow Act due to expanded work requirements for SNAP recipients. - Advocates for federal assistance for over 7,000 Massachusetts farms affected by severe 2023 flooding. > “In 2023, historic flooding hit our Commonwealth and left many questioning how they'd rebuild.” > — Jim McGovern, via [Campaign site](https://www.jimmcgovern.com) _No Republican nominee_ ### Economy, Small Business, and Wall Street Reform Salience: high **Jim McGovern:** Supports small business and Wall Street regulation McGovern supports economic growth through small business support while favoring strict regulation of Wall Street and big banks to protect consumers. He advocates for policies aimed at creating an economy where working families can thrive. - Supports economic policies assisting small businesses based on his experience growing up in his family's package store in Worcester. - Supported financial reform legislation to hold Wall Street accountable and prevent exploitation of regulatory loopholes. - Voted against the GENIUS Act regulating payment stablecoins and against the 2025 Reconciliation Act (H.R. 1). > “As the son of small business owners, Jim McGovern knows that small business is the backbone of America’s economy. Jim grew up working in his parent’s package store in Worcester, so he knows what it takes to help businesses grow.” > — Jim McGovern, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jim_McGovern_%28Massachusetts%29) > “Jim McGovern believes that for years, Wall Street and the Big Banks exploited loopholes, gambled people’s hard-earned money on complex schemes, and rewarded failure and recklessness while Republicans turned a blind eye.” > — Jim McGovern, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jim_McGovern_%28Massachusetts%29) _No Republican nominee_ ### Education Salience: medium **Jim McGovern:** Expands federal higher education aid and supports state testing reform McGovern focuses on making higher education affordable so students can focus on succeeding rather than accumulating debt. He also engages on state education policy, backing ballot initiatives to reform high school graduation testing requirements. - Authored legislation expanding federal Pell Grants to make college education affordable. - Endorsed 2024 Massachusetts Question 2 to repeal the MCAS competency assessment requirement for high school graduation. - Endorsed by the Massachusetts Teachers Association. > “The Third District is home to some of the best institutions of higher education in the world. And Jim McGovern has been worked tirelessly to help families afford a higher education, including authoring legislation to increase Pell Grants.” > — Jim McGovern, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jim_McGovern_%28Massachusetts%29) _No Republican nominee_ ### Foreign Policy and Defense Salience: medium **Jim McGovern:** Promotes human rights and opposes military interventions McGovern has built a national reputation prioritizing international human rights, diplomacy, and peace over unilateral military action. He voted against the Iraq War and led significant congressional investigations into human rights abuses abroad. - Led the 1990 Moakley Commission investigation into the murder of Jesuit priests in El Salvador, leading to U.S. foreign aid policy changes. - Voted against the war in Iraq and signed congressional letters advocating U.N. diplomacy over strikes in Syria. - Voted Nay on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024. - Endorsed by Massachusetts Peace Action. > “Jim McGovern voted against the war in Iraq. He believes it was a war of choice, not necessity. There were no weapons of mass destruction. The costs have been enormous.” > — Jim McGovern, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jim_McGovern_%28Massachusetts%29) _No Republican nominee_ ### Social Security and Medicare Salience: medium **Jim McGovern:** Protects entitlement programs and public retiree benefits McGovern views Social Security and Medicare as sacred commitments to seniors that must be protected against cuts or privatization. He supports expanding public benefit fairness for retirees. - Voted Yea on the Social Security Fairness Act of 2023 to eliminate offsets reducing benefits for public sector pension recipients. - Opposes structural cuts or privatizing Social Security and Medicare. > “Jim McGovern believes that Social Security and Medicare are sacred promises – commitments that our nation has made to ensure that our senior citizens can live their lives with dignity. Those promises must not be broken.” > — Jim McGovern, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jim_McGovern_%28Massachusetts%29) _No Republican nominee_ ### Energy and Climate Change Salience: medium **Jim McGovern:** Supports clean energy jobs and reduced foreign oil reliance McGovern advocates for clean energy investments, improving energy efficiency, and reducing reliance on foreign oil. He opposes fossil fuel expansion and environmental review rollbacks. - Voted Nay on the Lower Energy Costs Act (H.R. 1), opposing increased domestic oil, natural gas, and coal production. - Promotes local green job creation across Massachusetts. - Endorsed by Sierra Club Massachusetts. > “Jim believes we must reduce our dependence on foreign oil, improve energy efficiency and – most important – create new clean energy jobs here in Massachusetts.” > — Jim McGovern, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jim_McGovern_%28Massachusetts%29) _No Republican nominee_ ### Government Reform, Democracy, and Voting Rights Salience: medium **Jim McGovern:** Advocates campaign finance reform and voting access McGovern prioritizes campaign finance reform to limit the power of money in politics and opposes strict voter registration restrictions. He also supports structural democratic reforms such as ranked-choice voting. - Endorsed by End Citizens United for his stance on reforming campaign finance laws. - Supported 2020 Massachusetts Question 2 establishing ranked-choice voting. - Voted Nay on the SAVE Act (H.R. 22) requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. > “We don’t need more weirdos who worship Trump and billionaires in Congress” > — Jim McGovern, via [Campaign site](https://www.jimmcgovern.com) _No Republican nominee_ ### Immigration and Border Policy Salience: low **Jim McGovern:** Opposes restrictive border and immigration enforcement bills McGovern consistently votes against conservative immigration enforcement measures, opposing mandatory detention and broadened deportation grounds for undocumented immigrants. - Voted Nay on the Secure the Border Act of 2023 (H.R. 2). - Voted Nay on the Laken Riley Act (S.5). - Voted Nay on H.R. 875 making driving while impaired grounds for deportation or inadmissibility. _No Republican nominee_ ## Polls and markets _Updated Oct 31._ - [Polymarket](https://polymarket.com/event/ma-02-house-election-winner) — MA-02 House Election Winner: Democrats 98.1%, Republicans 2.0% - [Kalshi](https://kalshi.com/events/KXHOUSERACE-MA02-26) — MA-02 House winner?: Jim McGovern 98.8%, Republicans 2.1% [View this race on 2026election.com](https://www.2026election.com/race/2026-house-ma-02)