There is a version of this Senate primary that appears in the TV ads Seth Moulton’s campaign has run over the past few months, and there is the version Massachusetts actually saw on Wednesday, July 8. The two do not match.
The PR version says an aging incumbent is running on fumes against an energetic challenger. The July 8 debate showed the opposite. Senator Ed Markey was the better- prepared and more energetic candidate on the stage. He answered questions about housing, the intricacies of Medicare for All, and standing up to the Trump administration with detail and conviction. Markey was knowledgeable and didn’t dodge, and he never needed to, because he knows his own record.
Congressman Moulton’s performance made a different impression. Stripped of the slogan about generational change, there was little underneath. There was no signature policy, no answer more specific than a promise of a “new playbook” whose plays were never named. Congressman Moulton is not a newcomer to public service. He has served six terms in Congress, yet his record offers few major accomplishments to show for that time in office. Senator Markey, on the other hand, can point to a long and distinguished record of accomplishments while continuing to offer a bold, progressive vision for the future.
At a moment when Donald Trump and his allies are threatening fundamental rights and democratic institutions, Massachusetts cannot afford to trade proven leadership for a slogan. The question is not about who can talk about change, but who can deliver it. Last week, Senator Markey reminded voters why he remains the clear choice.
Patrick Falvey
Greenfield