A Democratic primary debate for the Massachusetts 6th Congressional at Middlesex Community College highlighted the challenge facing long-term incumbents, specifically John Tierney: You're the prime target of all your opponents, including, in this race, businessman and veteran Marine Captain Seth Moulton.
"Congressman, in the 18 years you've been in office, you've had a Democratic majority as well, and yet we've still only seen one bill," said Moulton.
Tierney says he has written many bills in Congress.
"All of it was legislation I worked on collectively, because I really think it's a collective exercise, like the Higher Education Opportunity Act, where many of the provisions were mine, but I'm not obnoxious enough to say that it's my bill," said Tierney.
A question about gridlock in Washington was another opportunity for candidates to go after Tierney.
"Five of the last six years, they couldn't even pass a budget," said candidate John Devine. "It's the most dysfunctional thing I've ever seen."
Tierney did not disagree saying, "Since John Boehner's in there, it's the worst Congress, and, I agree with all of you. I'm furious with it too. It's a terrible Congress."
Massachusetts
The latest news from around the state
But Immigration Attorney Marisa DeFranco fired back.
"You don't get to be as furious as the rest of us, because you've been collecting a taxpayer salary for the last 17 years while the rest of us have been hurting out here on Main Street," she said.
Tierney faces enough of a challenge from his Democratic opponents, but it's the Republican candidate, Richard Tisei, who polls show may pose the most serious threat.
"He's one of the most partisan members of Congress," said Tierney while campaigning in Gloucester. "He's always somebody pointing the fingers, 'The Republicans did this,' and not offering any solutions."
The Republican points out that the Cook Political report which handicaps races has recently put the 6th district into "toss up."
Tisei, who also has an edge in the latest polls, lost narrowly to Tierney in 2012, but says the outcome will be very different this time now that Obama is not on the ballot.
