Markey defeats Moulton in Massachusetts Democratic Senate primary

Sen. Ed Markey has fended off a challenge from Rep. Seth Moulton in the Massachusetts Democratic primary for Senate, Decision Desk HQ projects.

Moulton, a 47-year-old who’s served in the House for six terms, had lodged a generational change campaign against Markey, an 80-year-old who served 20 terms in the House and is seeking a third term in the Senate.

DDHQ called the race for Markey with just 4 percent of the vote reported. He led Moulton by over 30 percentage points as of 8:32 p.m. EDT.

But Markey emerged victorious in Tuesday’s primary, teeing him up for another six years representing the solidly blue state in the upper chamber alongside fellow Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). He will face off against Republican John Deaton, who ran unopposed in the GOP primary, in November.

The results are in line with recent polls that showed the senator with a double-digit lead. A University of Massachusetts Amherst/WCVB poll in mid-August found the incumbent was backed by more than 4 in 5 likely Democratic primary voters, signaling that Markey’s age “may actually be advantageous” as voters labeled him progressive, experienced and trustworthy.

The primary was one of several this cycle in which younger challengers have targeted longtime Democratic lawmakers as conversations about health, age and term limits circulate within the party.

Former President Biden’s exit from the 2024 race amid health concerns and the recent passing of multiple congressional Democrats in office have invigorated younger candidates who argue that older lawmakers are out-of-touch with the party.

But unlike some high-profile contests that saw the younger challengers running to the left of the incumbents, Markey was seen by many as the more progressive in the race.

Warren, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) were among those who supported his bid — while The Boston Globe had endorsed Moulton, suggesting that the younger candidate could bring “new vision and vigor” to an “aging” Democratic Party.

Markey’s victory comes after he fended off a 2020 challenge from former Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-Mass.), defeating his rival by roughly 10 percentage points in the primary and marking the first time a Kennedy family member lost a statewide race in Massachusetts.