Stephen F. Lynch is on cruise control.

The state senator seemingly had the Democratic primary for the Ninth Congressional District race well in hand yesterday, as six opponents raced to close the gap before voting booths opened this morning.

The contest to fill the seat left by the late congressman J. Joseph Moakley Jr.—a 30-year veteran of Boston’s political scene—drew national attention early on with the dramatic dropout of early frontrunner Max Kennedy, the son of the late Robert F. Kennedy ’48. Kennedy’s departure left the field wide open, and Lynch quickly pulled up to dominate the primary despite criticism of his relatively conservative politics and on his financial fumbles in personal college loans and real estate deals.

Lynch is the only contender from Moakley’s home—the urban heart of the district, South Boston.

The primary is widely viewed as the true election, since projected Democratic votes outnumber Republicans in the Ninth District approximately 8.5 to 1, according to Secretary of State William F. Galvin.

With new commercials touting his liver donation to a relative, plus the 11th-hour endorsement of Moakley’s two brothers,Lynch has sewn up the image of “iron man with a heart.” His campaign is clearly not worried about tomorrow.

“We are getting out the vote. We have 3,400 volunteers mobilized,” said Jamie Bearse, Lynch’s spokesperson. “I would say it’s been constant for quite awhile....Everybody is so excited.”

Bearse’s confidence is not unfounded—in the latest Boston Herald poll, Lynch held a strong 39 percent, with his closest competitors, fellow State Senators Cheryl Jacques, Brian A. Joyce and Marc R. Pacheco foundering at 18 percent, 12 percent and 10 percent respectively.