Federal

U.S. Representative, 8th Congressional District

Vote for: 1
Term: 2 years
Candidates: 3
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: A member of the U.S. House of Representatives votes on federal laws, taxes and spending on behalf of the district.

Candidates Compare by issue

Robert G. Burke

Republican

Retired · Dedham

The gist

Supports a complete pause on immigration
Pledges to cut taxes and bring back manufacturing
Proposes BoxerWorks manufacturing and training hub in Brockton
Supports personal catastrophic insurance with wellness incentives
Supports a law-and-order approach to crime
Pledges to serve a single term

More about Robert

View sources (2)

Supports a complete pause on immigration
Priorities | Burke4Congress
Campaign website · Committee to Elect Robert Burke · burke4congress.us
“Burke 4 Congress advocates a complete immigration pause.”
Pledges to cut taxes and bring back manufacturing
Priorities | Burke4Congress
Campaign website · Committee to Elect Robert Burke · burke4congress.us
“I'd make it a TOP priority to cut taxes, bring manufacturing back, and kill inflation.”
Proposes BoxerWorks manufacturing and training hub in Brockton
Meet Rob | Burke4Congress
Campaign website · Committee to Elect Robert Burke · burke4congress.us
“BoxerWorks is my flagship economic initiative to revitalize Brockton”
Supports personal catastrophic insurance with wellness incentives
Priorities | Burke4Congress
Campaign website · Committee to Elect Robert Burke · burke4congress.us
“Boxer Works pushes personal catastrophic insurance you buy yourself, with benefits for staying fit and eating right.”
Supports a law-and-order approach to crime
Priorities | Burke4Congress
Campaign website · Committee to Elect Robert Burke · burke4congress.us
“We need real law & order and we need to get criminals off the streets.”
Pledges to serve a single term
Meet Rob | Burke4Congress
Campaign website · Committee to Elect Robert Burke · burke4congress.us
“one term, then make room for the next”

Rasheed Nicholas Walters

Independent

Businessman; former Boston Herald opinion writer · Boston

The gist

Proposes banning investment firms from buying single-family homes
Opposes the state's MBTA Communities Act zoning mandate
Proposes ending H-1B and other work visa programs
Opposes single-payer universal health care
Proposes mandatory minimum sentences for fentanyl distribution
Supports federal pipeline authority over state objections
Proposes a federal audit of Massachusetts pandemic relief spending

More about Rasheed

View sources (6)

Proposes banning investment firms from buying single-family homes
Affordability | Rasheed N. Walters for Congress
Campaign website · Rasheed Walters for U.S. Congress · voterasheed.com
“legislation to ban corporate real estate firms and investment funds from purchasing single-family residential properties”
Opposes the state's MBTA Communities Act zoning mandate
MBTA Communities Act | Rasheed N. Walters for Congress
Campaign website · Rasheed Walters for U.S. Congress · voterasheed.com
“The MBTA Communities Act is a one-size-fits-all mandate that strips suburban towns of their right to make their own land use decisions”
Proposes ending H-1B and other work visa programs
Immigration | Rasheed N. Walters for Congress
Campaign website · Rasheed Walters for U.S. Congress · voterasheed.com
“I will end H-1B, OPT, STEM OPT, L-1, E-2, and all other work visa categories”
Opposes single-payer universal health care
Healthcare | Rasheed N. Walters for Congress
Campaign website · Rasheed Walters for U.S. Congress · voterasheed.com
“I will not support any system that strips choice from patients”
Proposes mandatory minimum sentences for fentanyl distribution
Drugs and Crime | Rasheed N. Walters for Congress
Campaign website · Rasheed Walters for U.S. Congress · voterasheed.com
“I will introduce federal legislation establishing mandatory minimum sentences for fentanyl distribution”
Supports federal pipeline authority over state objections
Affordability | Rasheed N. Walters for Congress
Campaign website · Rasheed Walters for U.S. Congress · voterasheed.com
“I will introduce legislation to ensure federal authority over pipelines supersedes state-level blocking tactics”
Proposes a federal audit of Massachusetts pandemic relief spending
Corruption | Rasheed N. Walters for Congress
Campaign website · Rasheed Walters for U.S. Congress · voterasheed.com
“I will request a full federal forensic audit of every dollar in pandemic and relief funding flowing through Massachusetts”

Stephen F. Lynch

DemocraticIncumbent

U.S. Representative (8th District) · Boston

The gist

Supports expanding housing supply via ROAD to Housing Act
Opposes cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP and Head Start
Supports requiring ICE agents to unmask and wear cameras
Supports building on Inflation Reduction Act climate investments
Supports strict regulation of federal government AI use
Introduced the Vote by Mail Protection ActIn office

In office = from the candidate's own official statements or legislation as an officeholder, not their campaign.

More about Stephen

View sources (1)

Supports expanding housing supply via ROAD to Housing Act
VOTE411 Voter Guide: 2026 Representative in Congress Eighth District
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Massachusetts (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“developing legislation like the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act”
Opposes cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP and Head Start
VOTE411 Voter Guide: 2026 Representative in Congress Eighth District
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Massachusetts (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I'm fighting to protect Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, HeadStart, and other critical programs”
Supports requiring ICE agents to unmask and wear cameras
VOTE411 Voter Guide: 2026 Representative in Congress Eighth District
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Massachusetts (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“We would require ICE agents to remove their masks, wear name plates and body cameras”
Supports building on Inflation Reduction Act climate investments
VOTE411 Voter Guide: 2026 Representative in Congress Eighth District
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Massachusetts (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“we must build on the historic climate investments delivered in the Inflation Reduction Act (which I supported)”
Supports strict regulation of federal government AI use
VOTE411 Voter Guide: 2026 Representative in Congress Eighth District
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Massachusetts (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“any AI technology deployed by the federal government must be explainable to users and subject to strict regulation”
Introduced the Vote by Mail Protection Act
VOTE411 Voter Guide: 2026 Representative in Congress Eighth District
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Massachusetts (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“introduced the Vote by Mail Protection Act to void Trump”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 7 issues covered in this race.