Local Eyes On State Sen. Primary Race: Jason Lewis v. Sam Hammar

Competitive primary races will be few and far between in Tuesday's election, but the push the Fifth Middlesex State Senate District is one of them.

Voters on the Democratic ballot will be asked to choose between State Sen. Jason Lewis and political newcomer Sam Hammar. It's a battle of two self-professed progressives who share a lot of common ground, but you don't need to squint hard to see some differences.

Erin Calvo-Bacci, a Republican from Reading, will likely await the winner of the primary. Calvo-Bacci is running unopposed.

Patch sent forms requesting information to all candidates. None had returned the forms by Labor Day.

Voting today? Take a photo on your way to the poll and send it to mike.carraggi@patch.com!

>>>Read more on this race: Lewis, Hammar Play Their Parts In State Senate Forum

Lewis Spent 4 Times More Than Hammar In Primary Race

Hammar is threatening to shake up the establishment by bringing some fresh perspective to Beacon Hill. The Melrose resident has focused on housing, student loan, and child care costs for working families.

Lewis is very much part of the establishment Hammar is targeting. The Winchester resident is on several committees on Beacon Hill, chairing the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development and the Joint Committee on Public Health. He's also the Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Marijuana, which is where one of the starkest differences between the candidates exists.

Take a look here to read more about the candidates.

Photo by Mike Carraggi, Patch