Daniel Darris-O’Connor became a 19-year-old elected to the Massachusetts House when he defeated eight-term Republican Marc Lombardo in the 22nd Middlesex District on Tuesday. The Billerica Democrat will replace Lombardo and become the youngest person in the chamber when he is sworn in at the State House in January.
Darris-O’Connor turned the race into a challenge to an incumbent who had held the district since he was 4 years old. He will turn 20 a day before taking the oath, after winning a seat on Billerica’s select board last year at 18 years old.
Billerica to State House
The result fits into a broader shift that cut further into Republican numbers in the Massachusetts House. The state GOP’s current 25-member caucus will shrink by three seats, according to party leadership, after Democrats also picked up open seats held by retiring Minority Leader Bradley Jones and Kim Ferguson.
Jack Richardson, a 23-year-old Falmouth Democrat, also defeated David Vieira. The losses left Lombardo’s seat among the most notable changes in the chamber, because he had represented the 22nd Middlesex District for 16 years after taking office in 2010.
Campaign Message
Darris-O’Connor said the COVID pandemic first pushed him toward politics. He said, "That instance was a little radicalizing" and said it showed him "showing my younger self that there are problems in our government."
He campaigned on the idea that "I believe we deserve better," and described Billerica as "very purple, especially for Massachusetts," while adding, "But Democrats can and do win in Billerica."
Age became part of the campaign, but Darris-O’Connor said, "Yes, I’m a younger candidate, and I’m a lot younger than most, I’d say. But I wouldn’t say I was running as the young candidate," and added, "I ran being focused on the issues."
Lombardo’s Loss
Lombardo said in a Wednesday statement that he was proud "of the way I did the job" and added, "I remained true to who I am, never afraid to speak up," after losing the seat he had held for 16 years. Amy Carnevale, the state GOP chair, wrote that Republicans faced a difficult election cycle across the nation and here at home.
For Darris-O’Connor, the immediate change is simple: he moves from a local campaign trail to a seat in the Massachusetts House, where he will enter as its youngest member. The wider question is how much of his win came from the broader blue wave and how much came from the district itself, but the result is set and the transition to January is already underway.
