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U.S. Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts secured the Democratic nomination in his bid for a third term in office 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 told voters it was time to do away with the “status quo.” Markey pointed to Moulton’s more moderate positions to argue that it was Moulton — not the older incumbent — who was out of touch with the state’s voters.
In heavily Democratic Massachusetts, the primary is considered the most critical election hurdle.
As Democrats across the U.S. signal an increasing appetite for change, Moulton had hoped that momentum would help him oust the longtime U.S. senator in Tuesday’s primary.
Moulton was among the many Democrats who called for generational change this year as they challenged much older opponents.
Markey has been a fixture in Massachusetts politics since the 1970s and is seeking a third six-year term. Moulton repeatedly 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 is Moulton is 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.
Moulton’s comments on transgender children have been an issue
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.
Antoine Hilaire, a 76-year-old Democrat who voted for Markey in Brockton on Tuesday, said being older can be a positive because it offers people experience and wisdom.
“If the older one is doing the better job, I don’t know,” he said. “He’s doing a good job. It’s not a big, big, big problem.”
Associated Press reporter Leah Willingham in Brockton contributed.
