Markey trounces Moulton in Massachusetts Senate primary poll

Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) is handily leading Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) in a primary race for his seat in the upper chamber, according to a new poll.

In the Emerson College Polling poll, 60.4 percent of respondents that are likely to vote in the Democratic primary or have already voted said that they would back Markey if the primary were that day, while 32.8 percent said they would back Moulton. The poll found 6.7 percent of the same group undecided.

Earlier this month, Moulton and Markey battled it out during the final Massachusetts Democratic Senate primary debate. The House member is running a long-shot campaign to oust the senator, a progressive, in the primary this Tuesday.

Moulton, 47, has centered the race around generational change and questioned the progressive bona fides of Markey, an 80-year-old. The representative has suggested the senator hasn’t done enough to battle the Trump administration and push priorities such as the Green New Deal.

Markey, meanwhile, has noted his central role in writing the Green New Deal. He has also tried to tie Moulton to past votes and statements on issues like the Iran war and transgender rights.

Polling has often leaned in Markey’s favor. The winner of the primary will likely take the Senate seat in the fall.

The Boston Globe announced that it was endorsing Moulton against Markey in recent weeks . The editorial board for the paper said Moulton “is promising that he can bring new vision and vigor to an aging, ailing, and deeply unpopular Democratic Party.”

“It is true that Markey still looks and sounds sharp, and that he brings much valuable experience to the table,” the board wrote. “But this is no ordinary time.”

The Emerson College Polling poll took place from Aug. 28 to 29, featuring 550 respondents and a credibility interval of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.