Evan MacKay Announces Second Bid For State House

Former Harvard labor leader Evan C. MacKay ’19 announced a second run for the State House district covering much of Harvard’s campus on Wednesday, setting the stage for a potential rematch with incumbent State Rep. Marjorie C. Decker in September’s Democratic primary.

MacKay first ran for State House against Decker in 2024, turning a deficit in cash and local connections into a razor-thin loss of 41 votes. They formally launched their second campaign Wednesday morning at an event headlined by newly elected Cambridge Vice Mayor Burhan Azeem and City Councilor Jivan G. Sobrinho-Wheeler.

The 25th Middlesex District — the only district located entirely within Cambridge, which stretches from Porter Square to Central Square — has become a focal point for progressive organizing and statewide political discourse.

Decker has represented the district since 2012 and had not seen a serious challenger until MacKay’s 2024 run. In that campaign, MacKay positioned themself as a progressive alternative to a long-time fixture of the state’s political establishment.

The rematch comes as debates over transparency on Beacon Hill have drawn increased attention from voters in Cambridge. MacKay wrote in a statement announcing their candidacy that the 41-vote loss in 2024 was “a strong indication of discontent” from the district, motivating a second run.

“Business as usual is not working, and we need a State Representative who is going to do the hard work to change that. I have seen Evan do that hard work in Cambridge,” Sobrinho-Wheeler wrote in a press release after MacKay’s campaign announcement.

At the time, Decker received support from nearly the entire Democratic establishment in the state, including Governor Maura T. Healey ’92, U.S. Sen. Ed J. Markey (D-Mass.), and a majority of the Cambridge City Council.

MacKay said that this year’s campaign was “right on track,” with support from Azeem and Sobrinho-Wheeler on Day 1.

MacKay’s Wednesday campaign announcement centered on issues of affordability and a promise to “break the culture of secrecy” in the Legislature in a renewed bid to unseat Decker, who first got her start in local politics as a Cambridge city councilor in 1999.

But MacKay said that their campaign was not focused on Decker in an interview with The Crimson.

“It’s not just about the current incumbent, Representative Decker,” they said. “This is about the fact that Massachusetts is not leading right now in this moment.”

MacKay, in particular, pledged to prioritize public transit, housing affordability, and “shared safety” for immigrant and LGBTQ+ residents, while pushing for greater transparency on Beacon Hill.

“I’m running because I want Massachusetts to live up to our potential,” MacKay wrote in the press release. “I’m excited to deepen democracy, create positive and powerful community, and build the future we all deserve.”

In 2024, they received backing from pro-transparency group Act on Mass, advocacy group Cambridge Bike Safety, and the Cambridge and Boston chapters of the Democratic Socialists of America.

MacKay served as president of Harvard’s graduate student union before stepping down in 2024 to run their campaign. They currently serve on the Cambridge LGBTQ+ Commission, where they chair the Seniors Working Group.

“We really believe that Massachusetts can and should be a leader — that Massachusetts can be a beacon for democracy,” MacKay said in the interview, adding that there are “real costs to inaction and procrastination from Massachusetts State House leadership.”

—Staff writer Megan L. Blonigen contributed reporting.

—Staff writer Wyatt T. Zurline can be reached [email protected].