Candidates for the 4th Congressional district push toward primary

Republican David Rosa of Dighton and Democrat Jake Auchincloss of Newton sparred over abortion and illegal immigration.

“I’m not only pro-life — I’m right to life,” Rosa said, holding up a photograph of an infant baby at a recent forum hosted by the League of Women Voters. “Those children need our protection, and I will work to see that they get it.”

Auchincloss disagreed.

“Politicians like David Rosa are a threat to an individual’s right to choose,” he said. “While Trump and the Republicans work to roll back reproductive freedoms at the national level, our next representative from the Massachusetts Fourth must lead the charge in protecting and expanding reproductive rights.”

Meanwhile, Rosa commented on the flow of people entering the country illegally over the southern border.

“You don’t have borders, you don’t have a nation … The foundation of immigration is — we’re looking for people that fit our economy as we’re going along, and we look for people that are of sound mind, sound body.”

Auchincloss condemned him.

“Rosa’s xenophobic, hateful rhetoric is un-American and unwelcome,” he said. “The ‘foundation of immigration’ in America is to welcome immigrants and refugees with open arms.”

Rosa is facing off against Attleboro Republican Julie Hall for the chance to run against the Democratic nominee.

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Natalia Linos, an epidemiologist from Brookline, said the state needs to crack down on indoor activities to stem the spread of coronavirus and get schools open.

“This means immediately restricting indoor activities that require mask removal, such as indoor dining at restaurants, and reinstating restrictions on gyms, museums, movie theaters, casinos, and other indoor spaces where people are at greater risk of sustained exposure,” she said.

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NARAL Pro-Choice America, an abortion rights group, endorsed Democrat Jesse Mermell of Brookline. “Jesse Mermell is an outspoken champion for women and families and we know she will tirelessly advocate for reproductive freedom in Congress,” Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL, said.

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State Senate Majority Leader Cindy Creem, D-Newton, endorsed Becky Grossman, also of Newton.

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BOLD PAC endorsed Democrat Ben Sigel of Brookline. It lays claim to being the “fastest growing Democratic Political Action Committee dedicated to increasing the diversity of our leadership in the House and Senate.” Sigel’s mother is Puerto Rican, the group noted.

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Democrat Chris Zannetos of Newton has released his first TV ad. It highlights his experience in business and creating jobs. “I’m the only Democrat running in MA-4 who has created hundreds of good-paying jobs. I’m the only Democrat running who has worked in the tech industry.”

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Ihssane Leckey of Brookline has released a new digital ad titled “Your Power.” It tells how Leckey immigrated to the United States from Morocco at the age of 20, worked sub-minimum wage jobs to put herself through community college and “took on Wall Street’s greed and corruption” following the 2008 financial crisis.

Leckey has received endorsements in recent weeks from U.S. Reps. Ilhan Omar and Andre Carson, Our Revolution Massachusetts, Friends of the Earth and Peace Action.