17th Suffolk District candidate Jordan Meehan (left, courtesy photo) is the first primary challenger Housing Chairman Kevin Honan (right, State House News Service file photo) has had since he first ran for the Allston-Brighton seat in 1986.

The 17th Suffolk primary race between Housing Committee Co-Chairman Rep. Kevin Honan and his progressive challenger, Jordan Meehan, stands out as a battle between to the power and experience of the incumbent versus the ability of a younger progressive rival to secure a win in a district where top issues include affordable housing and tenant protections.

Two years after Nika Elugardo and Jon Santiago defeated veteran Reps. Jeff Sanchez and Byron Rushing, only two House Democrats in the 18 Suffolk County House districts face opposition on Sept. 1. In addition to the race between Honan and Meehan, Chelsea’s Damali Vidot of Chelsea is running against Rep. Dan Ryan of Charlestown.

Honan hasn’t had a primary challenger on the ballot since he first ran in 1986 for the Allston-Brighton seat and is slated to become the most senior member of the 160-person House should he win reelection.

Renters’ Concerns to the Fore

Meehan, Boston-born and raised in Malden, studied political science at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. After college, he worked on Attorney General Maura Healey’s 2014 campaign and entered law school at Suffolk University shortly after. He has served as the chair of the Massachusetts Sierra Club’s political committee and most recently worked with the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth.

Meehan is focusing his campaign on housing issues, which he said are front-of-mind for many constituents thanks to what he characterized as abusive and neglectful apartment landlords and property managers. Meehan said rent increases as the area has emerged as another hot spot in Boston’s commercial development scene are concerning to him. Rent control and tenant protections, including a 10-point tenant bill of rights, rank high in his legislative to-do list, he said. .

“We have an affordable housing waitlist in this neighborhood of 17,000 people,” he said. “And that and the skyrocketing cost of rent that didn’t happen by accident, that all happened in the absence of policy to ward that off and to fix these problems.”

The district’s demographics could also play a role in the race. Meehan, who is campaigning in a district with a large number of young residents, said he is not daunted by Honan’s 33 years of political experience on Beacon Hill.

“Rep. Honan apparently just hasn’t been active in meeting new people where they are for a very long time,” Meehan told the News Service. “A lot of folks we talked to were distinctly unfamiliar as to who he is or what he’s done, and are excited to have a choice on the ballots.”

Roughly one-third of the Allston-Brighton neighborhood is made up of 20-24 year-olds and the neighborhood has a total population of 74,997, according to Boston’s Department of Neighborhood Development. The area’s population has grown nearly 8 percent in recent years, however with some area colleges and universities opting for full or partial in-person learning this fall, the number of young voters living in Boston’s traditional student neighborhood are uncertain.

Experience and Connections

Honan co-chairs the state legislature’s Joint Committee on Housing. He was a co-author, with Cambridge progressive leader Rep. Mike Connolly, of the state’s COVID-19 emergency eviction ban and a controversial proposed expansion. Honan has also been active in pushing state officials to build West Station as early as possible, a top priority for many neighborhood activists in recent years, and  has been a driving force behind the Housing Choices zoning reform legislation.

As the state plows through troubled economic waters, Honan argued his experience is a draw to voters who can rely on him to know the various social service agencies in the community and utilize the relationships and friendships he has built in the legislature to advance bills.

“My experience is very valuable. It matters. I’ve been through two major budget deficits. I understand how to navigate these difficult times and protect the social safety net,” he said. “Due to my years of service, we pride ourselves on our constituent work, helping families and people who are in need.”

In an interview, Honan said his priorities if elected to another term include continuing to work for affordable housing both in his district and across the state. He said he is focused on helping housing authorities use public land they own to create affordable residences.

“So we want to continue to work and bring to the table technical expertise within the housing authorities or from community development corporations, or preservation developers and other developers in Massachusetts of affordable housing,” Honan said.