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Race at a glance
Massachusetts’ 3rd District U.S. House race is contested, with four candidates running for the same seat in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.
The field consists of Democratic incumbent Lori Trahan; Kevin Ades, who has no party affiliation; Democrat Gaige Ms. Clark; and Republican Gary J. Grossi. Trahan is the only incumbent in the race. The candidate lineup gives voters a choice between the sitting officeholder and three other candidates.
The race also includes more than one candidate identified as a Democrat. Trahan and Clark share the Democratic designation, while Grossi is the Republican candidate and Ades is running without a party affiliation. All four are competing in the Massachusetts 2026 general election for the District 3 seat.
The candidates
Lori Trahan, Democrat: Trahan is the incumbent and one of two Democrats in the four-candidate field. Her status as the sitting officeholder is the principal distinction identified in the race listing. She is running for the District 3 seat against Ades, Clark and Grossi.
Kevin Ades, no party affiliation: Ades is the only candidate in the race identified as having no party affiliation. He is running for the same District 3 U.S. House seat as Trahan, Clark and Grossi and is one of three candidates challenging the incumbent.
Gaige Ms. Clark, Democrat: Clark is one of two candidates identified as Democrats in the field. Clark is running for the District 3 U.S. House seat against fellow Democrat Trahan, unaffiliated candidate Ades and Republican Grossi, and is one of the incumbent’s three challengers.
Gary J. Grossi, Republican: Grossi is the only candidate in the race identified as a Republican. He is running for the District 3 U.S. House seat against Democrats Trahan and Clark and unaffiliated candidate Ades, and is one of three candidates challenging the incumbent.
What is contested
The central contest is over who will hold the District 3 seat after the 2026 general election. Voters will have four named choices with three different types of party identification: two Democrats, one Republican and one candidate with no party affiliation.
Incumbency is another clear dividing point in the field. Trahan enters the election as the officeholder, while Ades, Clark and Grossi are challengers. The party labels and incumbent-challenger distinction establish the current structure of the race, but they do not by themselves explain how the candidates would approach issues before Congress.
That makes the campaigns’ presentation of their priorities an important part of the election ahead. Each candidate will have an opportunity to tell voters what distinguishes that candidacy from the other three choices in the field.
Election timeline
The general election is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. Until then, the campaign will determine how the four candidates define their differences and make their cases to District 3 voters.
The candidate lineup is the key process point to follow as the election approaches. Voters can also watch for campaign statements that set out policy priorities and for election information about how and when to cast a ballot. The result will be determined by voters in the 2026 general election; the four-candidate field means the District 3 race is not uncontested.
