U.S. Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts secured the Democratic nomination in his bid for a third term in office on Tuesday, fighting off a challenger who argued that it was time for a generational change.
Markey, 80, defeated U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, 47, in the Senate primary. Moulton, a moderate, was among the many Democrats who called for generational change this year as they challenged much older opponents.
The primary win means Markey will face off against Republican John Deaton in the Nov. 3 general election. Deaton did not have a primary opponent on Tuesday.
In Franklin County and the North Quabbin region, Markey gained a commanding lead. Across the 29 municipalities that had shared results with the Greenfield Recorder as of Wednesday morning, Markey earned 10,835 votes to Moulton’s 3,896. Markey achieved the majority vote in each of those 29 communities.
Markey has been a fixture in Massachusetts politics since the 1970s and is seeking a third six-year term. Moulton repeatedly argued on the campaign trail that the Democratic Party is stuck in the “status quo” and questioned Markey’s accomplishments during his lengthy time in office.
“People ought to ask, what are you going to accomplish in the next six years that you haven’t been able to accomplish in the last 50?” Moulton said.
Markey pointed to Moulton’s more moderate positions to argue that it was Moulton — not the older incumbent — who was out of touch with Massachusetts voters. Markey boasted about his 2022 climate bill and called for an end to the war in Iran to bring down energy costs.
He also sharply criticized Moulton for opposing “Medicare for All” — though Moulton has called for universal healthcare.
“He has a backwards-looking political agenda,” Markey said.
In heavily Democratic Massachusetts, the primary is considered the most critical election hurdle, and the winner is expected to prevail in the general election in November.
The Senate race was not the only generational challenge for Democrats on Tuesday’s ballot. A similar dynamic played out in the 8th Congressional District, where Patrick Roath hoped to oust longtime incumbent U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch, and in the 1st Congressional District of western Massachusetts, where progressive public school teacher Jeromie Whalen faced U.S. Rep. Richard Neal.
During the campaign, Markey repeatedly pointed out that Moulton, in 2024, raised eyebrows among some in the party for saying he did not want his daughters playing sports against transgender girls.
Critics said he was echoing President Donald Trump’s talking points against allowing transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s sports.
Moulton has since apologized for his remarks, saying it was not his intention to hurt the transgender community and stressing his support for other transgender rights bills.
“If you’re in the trans community or you’re a trans kid feeling the weight of the Trump administration and the Supreme Court, you matter,” Moulton said during an August debate. “You’re valued, and I will always have your back.”
Moulton, who enlisted in the Marines after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and served four tours of duty in Iraq, was first elected to Massachusetts’ 6th Congressional District in 2014. He launched a 2020 presidential campaign but dropped it after a few months.
Markey was elected to the Senate in 2013. Before that, he represented Massachusetts’ 7th Congressional District from 1976 to 2013.
Markey notably fended off a challenge in 2020 from Rep. Joe Kennedy III, a younger rival from one of the nation’s most famous political families. Markey did so by aligning himself with the liberal wing of the Democratic Party.
Lynch, 71, has held the 8th District seat in south Boston since 2001. He faced Roath, a 39-year-old lawyer who contended that it is time to end “wait-your-turn” politics. Lynch stressed the value of experience inside Congress.
Meanwhile, the 1st Congressional District primary in western Massachusetts pitted Neal, 77, against Whalen, 39.