Age was no factor for three Massachusetts congressmen in the September primary as they fought off challenges from younger and increasingly more progressive opponents, copying a trend developing across the country.

U.S. Reps. Stephen Lynch, 71; Richard Neal, 77; and Bill Keating, 73, all defeated their primary challengers in their respective races on Tuesday, with Neal effectively securing reelection with no Republican opponent in the general election.

The three congressional races were underscored by Sen. Ed Markey, 80, and his landslide victory over Congressman Seth Moulton, 48, in a highly-anticipated race that gained national media attention.

8th Congressional District – Lynch vs. Roath

Lynch was able to pull out a victory over progressive Democrat primary opponent Patrick Roath, 39, who campaigned as a generational change candidate in contrast to the long-tenured incumbent.

Lynch finished with 55.7% of the vote over Roath’s 44.3%, according to the latest tally by the Associated Press, making for a closer than expected race. The results exemplify a trend in the Boston area of electing younger and increasingly progressive candidates.

Lynch’s Congressional District spans from southern Boston to Walpole, Easton and Hull.

Roath, a lawyer who worked under former Gov. Deval Patrick and as an aide to former President Obama, told voters he stood for “new leadership,” telling CNN at one point that Lynch has been in office “since I was five years old,” while promoting his candidacy as a new opportunity to “take on Trump’s authoritarian agenda and deliver bold solutions for working families.”

Lynch’s campaign paints him as a proven, experienced, “common sense” candidate that will stand up to Republicans and President Trump.

First elected in 2001, Lynch replaced the outgoing former Congressman Joe Moakley. He has held various House committee assignments during his tenure, currently serving as a ranking member of the House Oversight Committee.

Lynch will go on to face Republican candidate Robert Gerald Burke, who ran uncontested in the primary, in the November election.

1st Congressional District – Neal vs. Whalen

Democratic voters in western Massachusetts effectively sent Congressman Richard Neal back to Washington as he defeated progressive challenger Jeromie Whalen, 39, in what proved to be by far the closest of the three contested House primaries in Massachusetts

Neal secured the primary victory by less than 10 percentage points, taking 54.1% of the vote to Whalen’s 45.9%, according to the latest results from the Associated Press, overcoming the label of being an aging member of the Democratic establishment. .

Neal promoted himself as a “lunch-bucket” Democrat throughout his campaign, fending off attacks from Whalen by highlighting what he says is the need for his vast wealth of political experience and representation of western Massachusetts. Otherwise, Neal adopted the classic incumbent playbook by not mentioning Whalen’s name or responding to him.

First elected to Congress in 1989 after serving as Springfield Mayor for five years prior, Neal currently serves as a ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee – which he chaired until 2023.

Whalen holds both a Ph.D. and bachelor’s degree from UMass Amherst, degrees he earned in 2011 and 2018, respectively. He has worked as a high school teacher and for a nonprofit local community media outlet.

Neal does not have a Republican opponent in the general election.

9th Congressional District – Keating vs. Swallow

In a repeat of the other Democratic House primaries, longtime Congressman Bill Keating easily fought off a primary challenge from Craig Swallow, 40, finishing with 77.5% of the vote to Swallow’s 22.5% for a landslide victory, according to the Associated Press.

Swallow painted himself as a community organizer, former educator and hospitality manager from New Bedford, who would provide voters with a younger and fresher option for representation in Washington.

Keating, for the most part, ignored attacks from Swallow and promoted his record over nearly two decades in Congress, where he has and still holds important seats on various House committees, including the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where he serves as a ranking member of the Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia and Emerging Threats. He had previously served on the House Homeland Security Committee.

Keating, first elected in 2010, will face off against Republican challenger Tyler Macallister in the November general election.

Other notable primary victories

The September primary also saw several candidates advance to the general election by way of uncontested primaries.

Worth noting is Republican Lt. Gov. candidate Shawn Oliver, who ran uncontested in the primary election after fellow candidates Anne Manning Martin and Anne Brensley failed to qualify for the ballot after falling victim to what they call a signature collection fraud scheme.

Oliver, who finished with 91.7% of the vote against 8.3% for write-ins, according to the latest results, took intense criticism from Massachusetts Republicans, including his now-running mate Mike Minogue, for consolidating a legal effort with the Massachusetts Democratic Party to disqualify Manning Martin. Oliver will now be expected to reframe his campaign to work alongside Minogue in the general election.

Another notable primary winner included Democrat Dan Koh, who secured his spot in the general election to replace Moulton in the Sixth Congressional District.

Koh utilized his resume, which includes his role as Deputy Assistant to President Joe Biden and the deputy director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, to separate himself from the collection of Democratic primary opponents.

Koh will face off against Republican challenger Micah Jones in the general election.

In an interesting development, state Rep. Francisco Paulino (D-16th Essex) lost his reelection bid just a week after he was arrested on federal pandemic loan fraud charges. Paulino lost a primary challenge Tuesday to Democratic Lawrence City Councilor Celina Reyes.

Other notable uncontested primary candidates who have moved on to the general election include Republican state Treasurer candidate Elizabeth Dionne, Republican U.S. Senate candidate John Deaton, and GOP 9th Congressional District candidate Tyler MacAllister.

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