They have a chance, though it’s more from the weakness of the Democrat running.
Tierney is an execrable piece of filth, but Tisei is just about the least appetizing Republican candidate possible. I have endorsed and even donated to openly gay Republican congressional candidates in the past (Matthew Berry, a pro-life conservative, in VA-08 in 2010), but Tisei (i) is in favor of same-sex marriage and wants to repeal DOMA and (ii) is 100% pro-abortion. I’ll just sit this one out, thank you.
I’m glad that I don’t live in that district, since I wouldn’t know for whom to vote. I guess I’d write someone in: perhaps Essex County Republican Sheriff Frank Cousins (the first black county sheriff in Massachusetts history), who should have run for the seat. http://www.mass.gov/essexsheriff/biowelcome%20frank%20g.%20cousins,%20jr..html
BTW, if Tisei gets elected, he would be only the second Republican U.S. Representative since Roe v. Wade not to have been pro-life. Yes, Paul Cronin, Silvio Conte, Margaret Heckler and Peter Blute all had pro-life voting records; Peter Torkildsen has been the only pro-abortion Republican in the House since Roe v. Wade.