High-Dollar Rematch Takes Shape as Decker, MacKay Race to Raise Cash
Two years after one of the closest Democratic primaries in Massachusetts, State Rep. Marjorie C. Decker and her challenger, Evan C. MacKay ’19, are preparing for a rematch — and early campaign finance reports suggest the contest will be fought with significantly more money than before.
MacKay came within 41 votes of unseating Decker in 2024 for the 25th Middlesex district, which covers much of Cambridge, including a large portion of Harvard’s campus. Now, with another election looming, both campaigns are moving quickly to build war chests, signaling an expensive and highly competitive race ahead.
Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance indicate the two candidates are entering the 2026 cycle on far more even financial footing than they did in the last contest, when Decker, a longtime incumbent, held a sizable fundraising advantage.
MacKay, who announced their candidacy in early January, entered the new cycle with less than $25,000 in the bank. By the end of the month, however, they had raised roughly $43,000 this cycle, bringing their total cash on hand to $66,000, according to state filings.
That figure exceeds MacKay’s highest cash-on-hand total from the 2024 cycle, which peaked at approximately $45,000 in July of that year.
Decker, who has represented the district for more than a decade, has also moved aggressively to raise funds. During the 2024 cycle, Decker brought in more than $170,ooo, placing her among the top fundraisers in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
In December — before formally announcing her campaign for reelection — Decker raised more than $35,000. Year-end filings show her campaign closed 2025 with nearly $38,000 on hand. Since then, she has raised an additional $20,000, bringing her total to just over $58,000.
The source of that funding reflects longstanding differences between the two campaigns. Decker has historically relied on donations from lobbyists, a pattern that appears to be continuing. She has received just shy of $6,000 from lobbyists since the start of 2025, according to OCPF filings.
By contrast, MacKay’s fundraising has skewed towards local and grassroots organizations. MacKay’s donor base consists largely of small-dollar contributions from students and union members, and filings show no contributions from political action committees, lobbyists, or developers.
In an interview with The Crimson, MacKay said the structure of campaign fundraising shapes representation on Beacon Hill.
“So many politicians spend hours and hours every single day talking to only ultra-wealthy people,” they said. “Working-class people are not at these really ritzy, high-dollar fundraisers.”
MacKay also pointed to lingering momentum from the 2024 race as a driver of their early fundraising success.
“There's a real hunger and an appetite for change from neighbors in the 25th Middlesex district, and there are definitely people who are eager to donate this time because of how close it was in 2024,” MacKay said.
Geography further distinguishes the two donor networks. Decker has drawn contributions from well beyond the district, including Boston, Somerville, and as far away as Washington State.
During the early months of the 2024 cycle, nearly half of MacKay’s contributions came from Cambridge residents, compared with 19 percent of Decker’s at the time.
—Staff writer Wyatt T. Zurline can be reached at wyatt.zurline@thecrimson.com.
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