Candidate · November 3, 2026

Stephen F. Lynch

On the ballot for U.S. House · Massachusetts's 8th District

DemocraticIncumbent
raised through Oct 14, 2026
$1.1M
cash on hand
$494K
issues with public statements
13
outside spending for or against
$292K

§1On the ballot

Why this matters: This is exactly how the candidate appears on your ballot, from the state's official candidate list.

OfficeU.S. House · Massachusetts's 8th District1,2
Party on the ballotDemocratic1,2
StatusIncumbent — Currently represents Massachusetts's 8th District in the U.S. House.3
Also on the ballot

§2Who they are

Why this matters: Background and experience help you judge how someone might do the job. These come from public records and the candidate's own materials.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

His campaign website says he worked for 18 years as an ironworker, was elected president of Ironworkers Local 7 and later worked as a labor attorney representing unions and workers.4 It says he earned an engineering degree from Wentworth Institute of Technology, a law degree from Boston College Law School in 1991 and a master's degree in public administration from Harvard University in 1999.4 It says he was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1994 and to the State Senate fourteen months later, where he chaired the Joint Committee on Commerce and Labor.4 It says he was elected to Congress in October 2001, after the death of Congressman John Joseph Moakley.4

Why they say they're running

His campaign website says he will go to Congress every day to fight for the people of the district and be their voice, and that he will remain accessible and transparent.5

Service in Congress since 2023

  • 2025–nowU.S. Representative, MA-83
  • 2023–2025U.S. Representative, MA-83

Websites and accounts

§3What they've said on the issues

Why this matters: These are positions the candidate has stated publicly — on their campaign website or in public statements — summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Issues they haven't spoken about publicly are left out.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

Each issue has its own range of views. A position is marked on that range only when the candidate's own statement clearly matches one option; there is no overall left–right score.

Guns

Background checks for gun sales

His campaign website says he supports universal background checks covering all firearms purchases, including those at gun shows, through classified ads and on the internet.7

  1. Require checks for all gun sales, including private sales (with exceptions such as gifts between family members)
  2. Require checks for private sales at gun shows and online, but not other private sales
  3. Keep current law, with checks required only for sales by licensed dealers
Marked: the option their statement matches.
Red flag laws

His campaign website says he has co-sponsored the Extreme Risk Protection Order Act, which it says would allow federal funds to be used for states to enact red flag laws.7

  1. Adopt more red flag laws, including a national one
  2. Leave the choice to each state
  3. Repeal existing red flag laws and adopt no new ones
Marked: the option their statement matches.

Courts, Rights and Civil Liberties

Discrimination protections for sexual orientation and gender identity

His campaign website says he has co-sponsored the Equality Act since it was first introduced in 2015 and lists its House passage in 2019 among his record.8

  1. Pass broad protections such as the Equality Act
  2. Add protections with broad exemptions for religious groups and businesses
  3. No new federal protections; leave it to the states
Marked: the option their statement matches.

Education

Student loan forgiveness

His campaign website says he has co-sponsored legislation to revise student loan repayments with an income-based plan and to expand public service loan forgiveness.9

  1. Narrow or end existing forgiveness programs, such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness
  2. Keep current forgiveness programs, with no new cancellation
  3. Add targeted relief, such as more forgiveness for public service workers or through income-based repayment
  4. Broad cancellation of student debt
Marked: the option their statement matches.

Economy, Jobs and Trade

Federal minimum wage

His campaign website says he is fighting for increasing the minimum wage, along with equal pay and paid leave.10

Family and Social Policy

Paid family and medical leave

His campaign website says he is fighting for paid leave and lists supporting legislation to improve paid family and medical leave.8,10

Abortion and Reproductive Health

Government funding and abortion

His campaign website says that when Republicans tried to defund women's health organizations such as Planned Parenthood, he fought the legislation on the House floor.8

Technology, Privacy and AI

High-speed internet access

His campaign website says he has consistently supported federal efforts to increase broadband access, particularly in rural and underserved areas.11

Rules for artificial intelligence

His campaign website says he introduced legislation to ban the use of deepfake audio, video and photos in U.S. elections.12

  1. Require government testing or licenses for the most powerful AI systems before they are released
  2. Set rules for specific risks and uses, such as deepfakes, hiring decisions and safety disclosures
  3. Rely mainly on existing laws, without new rules written for AI
Marked: the option their statement matches.

Infrastructure and Transportation

Highway and transit funding

His campaign website says he has pushed for funding to repair roads and bridges and is working to invest in modernizing public transportation.11

Health Care

Health insurance system

His campaign website's Healthcare page says he is committed to building on the Affordable Care Act by adding a strong public option to compete with private insurers.13

  1. One government plan for everyone (Medicare for All)
  2. Add a government plan that anyone can choose to buy
  3. Keep the current mix of private and public coverage, including the ACA
  4. Fewer federal insurance rules and more private plan choices, with aid paid to individuals
Marked: the option their statement matches.

Social Security and Medicare

Social Security benefit levels

His campaign website's Supporting Our Seniors page says he will keep opposing any budget that would cut Social Security or Medicare, that he has fought chained CPI, which it says would shrink seniors' cost-of-living increases over time, and that he co-sponsored the Social Security 2100 Act, which it says would raise benefits.14

  1. Increase benefits, for example with larger yearly cost-of-living raises
  2. Keep the current benefit formula
  3. Slow benefit growth for higher earners or future retirees
Marked: the option their statement matches.
Medicare drug price negotiation

His campaign website's Supporting Our Seniors page says he co-sponsored Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation legislation, which it says would allow Medicare to negotiate discounted prices for prescription drugs.14

§4Popular bills that never got a vote

Why this matters: Many bills with wide support from both parties never reach a vote, so no member of Congress is ever on record for or against them. Signing on as a sponsor or cosponsor is the only public record of support.

While Stephen F. Lynch served, these bills had broad support from both parties but never reached a floor vote. No officeholder ever had to vote on them. Stephen F. Lynch sponsored or cosponsored 33 of the 52. How bills die without a vote.

See all 52

§5Money

Why this matters: Campaigns report where their money comes from and how much they have left. Outside groups that spend on their own, without coordinating with the campaign, report that too.

Reported to the Federal Election Commission for the 2025–2026 election cycle, through October 14, 2026.67

Raised$1,052,703
Spent$1,647,458
Cash on hand$493,969

Where the money came from

Individual donors$622K · 59%
PACs and other political committees$415K · 39%
Other receipts (other loans, refunds, interest)$15K · 1%

Outside spending

Groups spending independently reported $77,931 supporting and $213,732 opposing Stephen F. Lynch this cycle, primary and general combined, in the 24- and 48-hour reports the law requires for larger expenditures, filed through August 21, 2026.68

Largest independent spenders, as named in their FEC filings.
GroupSupportingOpposing
Leaders We Deserve—$213,732
ONE PAC$77,931—

Smaller expenditures that appear only on a group's regular monthly or quarterly report aren't in these totals, so the full amounts can be somewhat higher. When a group amends a report, only its latest version is counted.

§6Financial disclosures

Why this matters: Federal candidates and members of Congress must report their assets, income, debts and outside jobs, and members must report stock trades. These filings show possible conflicts of interest.