Winner Revealed In 2026 34th Middlesex District State Rep. Race

MEDFORD, MA — Will Mbah has won the Democratic nomination for the 34th Middlesex state House District in Tuesday's Massachusetts primary, according to The Associated Press.

The Somerville City Councilor received 3,586 votes compared with 1,862 for Medford School Committee member Paul Ruseau and 1,203 for Somerville resident Christopher Ryan Oates with 50 percent of precincts reporting.

The race was for an open seat after State Rep. Christine Barber launched a campaign for State Senate earlier this year.

Mbah was first elected to the Somerville City Council in 2017 and has served four terms. A native of Cameroon, he earned a degree in environmental studies from the University of Buea and later studied at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences before moving to the United States. He earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the Harvard Kennedy School in 2024. During his tenure on the council, Mbah has focused on issues including housing, environmental justice and racial equity and has pointed to his experience in local government as preparation for representing the district on Beacon Hill.

Oates is a first-time candidate for elected office with a background in political risk analysis, election reform and technology. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Brown University and a master's degree and doctorate in international relations from the University of Oxford. Oates has worked as a political risk analyst and was involved in the Massachusetts campaign to establish ranked-choice voting. His State House campaign has focused on issues including housing affordability, transportation, energy costs and making state government more responsive and transparent.

Ruseau has served on the Medford School Committee since 2018 and works as a software engineer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He has pointed to his experiences with homelessness and food insecurity while growing up as influences on his approach to public service. Ruseau has made healthcare a central issue of his campaign, including support for a statewide Medicare for All system, while also focusing on education, childcare, housing affordability and local aid.

The 34th Middlesex District includes portions of Somerville and Medford, covering Somerville Ward 4 Precincts 1 through 4, Ward 6 Precinct 3A and Ward 7, along with Medford Wards 4 and 5, Ward 7 Precincts 1 and 2A, and Ward 8 Precinct 2.