In Massachusetts, there are several closely watched congressional contests, including the race to fill the state's only open seat – the 10th Congressional District office currently held by Democratic Rep. William Delahunt, who is not seeking re-election.
Vying for the Republican nomination are state Rep. Jeffrey Perry of Sandwich; former state Treasurer Joseph Malone; Cohasset accountant Ray Kasperowicz; and Robert Hayden, a lawyer with the Department of Public Utilities.
Norfolk District Attorney William Keating and state Sen. Robert O'Leary of Barnstable are the Democratic candidates.
The GOP is also keeping a close eye on the 5th Congressional District seat held by incumbent Niki Tsongas. The Lowell Democrat is seen as vulnerable partly because the district is one of the state's more conservative.
In the state's 9th Congressional District, incumbent Democrat Stephen Lynch is fending off a challenge from Mac D'Alessandro, who is irked at Lynch for not supporting the Obama administration's health care overhaul.
Photojournalist Keith Lepor of Boston and computer technician Vernon Harrison of Braintree are fighting for the Republican nomination.
Rep. Barney Frank is facing a crowded field in the 4th Congressional District.
The incumbent Democrat is fielding a challenge from 29-year-old Rachel Brown in his party's primary. Barney famously compared talking with her to "arguing with a dining room table" during a town hall meeting last year. Brookline businessman and Marine Sean Bielat and Norfolk businessman Earl Sholley are vying for the GOP nomination.
