In 2012, Congressman Tierney won reelection in a squeaker, amid ethics charges. That slim victory has invited a strong primary challenge this year from Iraq war vet Mr. Moulton. Marine Captain Moulton is trying to pull off the first victory in 22 years over an incumbent in a Massachusetts House primary. The vote is on Sept. 9.
Moulton faces an uphill fight. He is a first-time candidate, but he has raised more than $1 million, partly on the strength of alumni fundraising from his former schools: Phillips Andover Academy, Harvard University, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and Harvard Business School.
Last year, the House ethics committee dismissed an inquiry into the finances of Tierney and his wife, but the issue still leaves him vulnerable. Privately, some Democrats hope Moulton wins, saying he would be stronger against former state Sen. Richard Tisei, the likely Republican nominee in November. Tierney beat Mr. Tisei by only one percentage point in 2012.
