19-Year-Old Democrat Defeats Eight-Term Republican to Win Massachusetts House Seat

Daniel Darris-O’Connor, the 19-year-old Democratic representative-elect who defeated an eight-term Republican incumbent in Massachusetts. Photo: Campaign/Media reports.

A 19-year-old Democrat, Daniel Darris-O’Connor, has defeated an eight-term Republican incumbent to win a seat in the Massachusetts House of Representatives in the November 3, 2026 midterm elections.

Darris-O’Connor defeated Republican state Representative Marc Lombardo in the 22nd Middlesex District, ending the incumbent’s 16-year tenure in the state legislature.

The victory makes the young Democrat one of the youngest incoming lawmakers in Massachusetts history.

According to election reports, Darris-O’Connor secured victory by a margin of 438 votes, with more than 17,000 ballots counted in the closely contested race.

The result was part of a wider electoral setback for Republicans in Massachusetts, where Democrats recorded gains in several legislative contests.

Darris-O’Connor, a lifelong resident of Billerica, said his campaign was driven by issues affecting ordinary residents rather than his age.

He identified the rising cost of living, affordability and the need for stronger representation for his community as major issues that resonated with voters.

“I am a younger candidate. My campaign wasn’t focused on my age; it was focused on the issues,” he said after his victory.

The young politician’s interest in public affairs reportedly began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he was still in middle school.

He subsequently became involved in political campaigns and local government, serving as a student representative on the Billerica School Committee.

In 2025, at the age of 18, he made another electoral breakthrough by winning a seat on Billerica’s five-member Select Board while still completing his high school education.

His experience in local government provided an early platform for his campaign for the Massachusetts legislature.

During the campaign, Darris-O’Connor acknowledged that his age sometimes became a subject of discussion while he canvassed for votes. Some residents reportedly mistook him for a campaign intern or the son of another candidate.

However, he maintained that his campaign was about addressing the concerns of residents and securing better representation for Billerica.

His victory means he will replace Lombardo, who had represented the district since 2010.

Lombardo, in a statement following the election, said he was proud of his record and the service he had rendered to constituents during his years in public office.

Darris-O’Connor is expected to be sworn into the Massachusetts House on January 6, 2027. He will turn 20 the previous day.

Although his election places him among the youngest members of the legislature, he will not break the historical age record. Thomas Lussier was 19 when he took office in 1977.

His emergence nevertheless highlights the increasing participation of younger candidates in American electoral politics, particularly at a time when affordability, economic pressures and political representation remain significant issues for voters.