Patrick Roath

Patrick Roath earned a high school diploma from New Canaan High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from Tufts University in 2009 and a law degree from Columbia University in 2014. His career experience includes working as an attorney.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’m a new dad, attorney, and democracy advocate running to take on the status quo, fix our politics, and push for the American Dream.

My mother was born in Brockton, Massachusetts, and raised by a single mom, partly in Braintree. She met my dad at IBM shortly after he finished his service in the U.S. Army. My parents lived the American Dream of upward mobility. I'm running because that promise is slipping away.

I’ve served as a State Department Fulbright fellow, a federal appeals court law clerk, an aide and speechwriter to Governor Deval Patrick, and a Boston lawyer for over a decade. As Board Chair of Common Cause Massachusetts, I helped lead winning campaigns to expand voting. Now, as a new dad living in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston, I see every problem through the lens of the country we'll hand my daughter's generation.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

We need to elect members of Congress who are prepared to fight for our values, push to secure the American Dream, and listen to the people – not special interests.

Job #1 is confronting the affordability crisis head on. I'll fight to build millions of new homes and help first-time buyers, cap childcare costs at 7% of family income (families earning under $100,000 pay nothing), and bring down healthcare costs by taking on corporate middlemen and pushing toward universal coverage.

Congressman Lynch is the last remaining House Democrat who voted against the Affordable Care Act – that’s the opposite of the kind of leadership we need. Making it affordable to raise a family in Massachusetts again is the central mission of this campaign.We need to fix our broken politics. That starts with getting money out of it.

As Board Chair of the voting rights group Common Cause Massachusetts, I helped pass automatic voter registration and mail-in voting. In Congress, I'll fight to overturn Citizens United, ban congressional stock trading, and pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

I refuse all corporate PAC money. By contrast, my opponent has taken millions from corporate PACs over his career. And I believe in strict term limits: I've committed to serving no more than six terms, because a congressional seat is a trust, not an entitlement.Congress must be restored as a check on the dangerous Presidential overreach we are seeing now.

That means clawing back war and emergency powers, protecting due process, dismantling ICE, a rogue and dangerous agency, and strengthening oversight so no future president can govern by decree.

Congressman Lynch, by contrast, voted to thank ICE, and was the only member of the Massachusetts delegation to vote for the Republicans’ Laken Riley Act. This is a pivotal and frightening moment in our country's history, and it demands representatives who will draw clear lines in defense of the Constitution and the rule of law. That is exactly what I will do.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Democracy and voting rights have been the throughline of my career, from Common Cause Massachusetts to serving as a voter protection volunteer in battleground states in every presidential election since 2012. I think we need to rebuild confidence in our democracy and show people that it can work for them, and that they can play a role in shaping their government. That’s what I’ve done in my career, and it’s the mission I would pursue in the Congress if elected.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Governor Deval Patrick, who showed how to combine progressive values with pragmatic governance, building unlikely coalitions while delivering results. I worked for him as a speechwriter and aide, and his example shaped how I think about public leadership.

In Congress, I greatly admire Rep. Jim McGovern, who represents a neighboring district and has built a long, productive career as an effective, values-driven member with real leadership in the caucus. He shows up in his community and persuades constituents who don’t agree with him.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Showing up. It sounds simple, but the erosion of trust in government starts when representatives stop being present, stop answering questions in public, and stop treating the job as accountable work. I am running against a 25 year incumbent who has not had an in-person town hall since 2019 and refuses to show up for candidate forums in our election. We need someone who is prepared to show up and take tough questions. That is the kind of Congressman I would be, if elected.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Governing with integrity. Showing up in every community. Obsessive constituent service. Being clear about values and understanding when to be pragmatic.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want to help prove that democracy can still deliver transformative results for working people, because I believe that is how we defeat authoritarianism in this country.

And I’d like to prove that the communities in this Congressional district are ready for my style of leadership.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

During high school, I worked after school and on weekends at a local coffee shop. I worked on and off through high school before graduating to the frozen custard shop in a neighboring community and then working as a gardener / plant deliveryman for a local nursery.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Balance.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The House is the chamber built for proximity. Two-year terms and small districts were designed to keep representatives close to the people, responsive to changing public sentiment, and easy to fire. It is the institution through which popular majorities are supposed to move first. That design only works when members actually stay close to the people who sent them to DC.

What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Overcoming cynicism and proving our way of life and form of government is worth preserving. That is the central challenge from which everything else follows. When democracy stops delivering material results, people lose faith in it, and demagogues fill the vacuum.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Both, of course. Compromise is how a diverse country governs itself. But compromise has to be a tool, not an identity. Some things are not up for negotiation: voting rights, due process, basic dignity, Constitutional freedoms. The skill is knowing which situation you're in.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, Leaders We Deserve, the American Federation of Teachers - Massachusetts, the Boston Teachers Union, Progressive Massachusetts, Chinese Progressive Political Action, Our Revolution - Massachusetts, close to 50 elected officials across the district.

What was the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember?

I have a strong memory of being very young and asking my dad what it meant that we had just gone to war in the Middle East because Iraq had invaded Kuwait. I also remember then-Governor Bill Clinton playing the saxophone at the 1992 DNC.

Campaign websiteRoath's campaign website stated the following:PrioritiesLower Costs and End CorruptionThis is a pivotal time for our country. Right now, we need leaders who are ready to meet the moment, who understand what’s at stake, and who are ready to fix our democracy by building the future we deserve. This campaign is about proving that our government can still get things done for people – starting with tackling the out-of-control costs that are driving people away from our communities.Affordable housingMassachusetts is too expensive. The exceptionally high cost of living threatens our region’s future as we lose families and workers to more affordable states. This isn’t just a local problem—it’s a national crisis demanding bold federal action. We need Washington to lead an ambitious campaign to build millions more affordable units across the country and provide direct assistance to first-time homebuyers.Family Affordability & ChildcareEvery day, across the Eighth District, I hear the same thing: raising a family in Massachusetts, particularly in and around Boston, has become impossibly expensive. Right now, the average annual cost of infant care in Massachusetts is over $26,709 – that is out of reach for most families, and among the most expensive in the country. That is more than tuition at UMass, and the increases in recent years are out of control.Affordable HealthcareEvery American deserves access to quality, affordable healthcare. The United States is alone among developed countries in not guaranteeing universal health coverage. Too many families face crushing medical bills, limited choices, and unnecessary barriers to care. There is so much we can be doing in the short, medium, and long term to fix our healthcare system and build up to universal coverage.Jobs & Economic opportunityAmerica’s economy should work for working people, not just those at the top. I will champion an opportunity economy where everyone has a chance to compete and succeed. I’ll fight to cut taxes for more than 100 million working and middle-class Americans by expanding the Child Tax and Earned Income Tax Credits, while ensuring the wealthiest Americans and largest corporations pay their fair share. I’ll support investments in American manufacturing, infrastructure, and clean energy that create good-paying jobs with family-sustaining wages and benefits. By removing barriers to opportunity and investing in communities that have been left behind, we can build a future where hard work is rewarded, and the middle class thrives.Reproductive RightsI believe that family planning decisions are profoundly personal and should remain between individuals and their healthcare providers—not politicians or the government. The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has created a healthcare crisis across our nation, with dire consequences falling heaviest on low-income communities and people of color. I would be a strong pro-choice vote in Congress and would fight tirelessly to restore and strengthen federal protections for reproductive freedom. I would champion legislation to codify the protections of Roe into federal law through the Women’s Health Protection Act and work to ensure that everyone has access to the full spectrum of reproductive health care regardless of where they live or their economic status.ImmigrationAmerica deserves an immigration system that reflects our proud tradition of being a nation that welcomes those who come to contribute to our shared prosperity. We cannot abandon our distinct role as a nation of immigrants and the vibrant melting pot of the world. That’s my personal story, as someone descended from Catholic and Jewish refugees fleeing persecution in Ireland and Central Europe. And as a lawyer who has worked on groundbreaking political asylum cases, I am deeply familiar with complexities and weaknesses of existing law.Public educationAs the proud product of public schools, I am committed to strengthening our public education system to ensure every child has access to high-quality learning opportunities regardless of zip code. Our schools face unprecedented challenges—from pandemic learning loss to growing mental health concerns—and we need bold federal leadership that empowers educators and supports students at every stage of development.Rather than dismantling the Department of Education, we should transform it into a powerful resource for ensuring educational excellence in public schools across the country. This means providing meaningful support to teachers and administrators, including increasing teacher pay, reducing administrative burdens, and supporting schools that take steps to restrict phones from classrooms to enhance student focus.Fighting for Full Equality & LGBTQ+ RightsEvery single person in our country is entitled to live with dignity, free from discrimination, and with the freedom to be their authentic self. As someone who has fought for civil rights as a lawyer and democracy advocate through my work with Common Cause Massachusetts and other groups, I would be a strong champion for LGBTQ+ equality if elected to the United States Congress. I have been on the front lines of this fight, including by suing Massachusetts to comply with the Constitution by providing appropriate healthcare to trans inmates.Fixing politics & our democracyThis campaign is about fixing our politics and strengthening our democracy. That means advancing focused, serious, achievable measures designed to address corruption and make our institutions more responsive to the needs of the people. No Corporate PAC Money. A pro-democracy anti-corruption agenda starts with how this campaign is being run. I refuse to accept any contributions from corporate political action committees (PACs), in an effort to strengthen the separation between candidates for office and corporate interests.Foreign PolicyAmerica can only be great on the world stage by being good.My experience teaching English at a rural Islamic boarding school in Malaysia as a Fulbright scholar through the U.S. State Department taught me that America’s greatest strength isn’t our military might—it’s our ability to build genuine partnerships based on mutual respect and shared values. Real security comes from diplomacy, development, and demonstrating that democracy delivers.Climate & The EnvironmentThe threat posed by climate change requires the United States to take bold action to protect our planet and our future generations. That means both investing in long-term clean energy solutions and making practical decisions that improve the health, safety, and natural beauty of our communities on the ground. Climate change is impacting our region today, and the effects will only be more pronounced in the coming years. Clean Energy Solutions. I’ll champion investments in the full spectrum of clean energy technologies—from offshore wind and solar to advanced nuclear, fusion, and geothermal—while building environmental resilience through targeted civil engineering projects throughout our district. Massachusetts has the research institutions, skilled workforce, and innovative spirit to lead the nation in developing and deploying these technologies.Gun ControlThe epidemic of gun violence in America demands immediate and serious action. In Congress, I would be a strong advocate for imposing serious and comprehensive controls on gun ownership to minimize the odds that firearms fall into the wrong hands.  We should regulate firearm possession at least as much as we currently regulate motor vehicle possession. Just as we require drivers to be licensed, tested, and insured before operating a vehicle, we should implement a comprehensive licensing system for firearms. Guns are powerful tools that require proper training and responsibility.Checks And BalancesThe Trump Administration is trampling on the checks and balances imposed by the U.S. Constitution and attempting to unilaterally seize powers it is not constitutionally entitled to. These overreaches have been abetted by a Republican-controlled Congress that is letting the Executive run roughshod over Congress’s critical Constitutional role as a check against tyranny.That acquiescence must end. If Democrats regain power on Capitol Hill after the midterm elections, we should prioritize restoring the critical checks and balances fundamental to our democracy. That means repealing or substantially amending statutes that the Trump Administration has exploited in attempts to seize and misuse authority.Artificial IntelligenceArtificial intelligence may be the most consequential technology of our lifetimes. It has the potential to drive enormous economic growth, accelerate scientific discovery, and improve lives in countless ways. But it also poses real and growing risks to jobs, families, national security, and our democracy.We need leaders in Congress who can ask tough questions of the people building this technology, close dangerous loopholes, and make sure that AI strengthens our democracy and our middle class rather than undermining both.Social Security & MedicareSocial Security is not a handout. It’s earned. You paid into it with every paycheck, and I will fight to protect it.Absent action from Washington, Social Security benefits are set to drop by more than 20% in the early 2030s. We cannot let that happen.— Patrick Roath's campaign website (July 24, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.