Markey Turns Back Moulton’s Challenge in Massachusetts Senate Primary

Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., has won the Democratic nomination for a third full Senate term, defeating Rep. Seth Moulton in Tuesday’s primary. The Associated Press called the race for Markey less than an hour after polls closed.

Markey, who has served Massachusetts in Congress for nearly five decades, fended off Moulton’s campaign centered on generational change by emphasizing his progressive record. He is among the few Democrats nationally who continue to advocate for transgender rights in sports during this midterm cycle.

“Trans athletes should be able to play,” Markey told The New York Times. “That reflects Massachusetts and who we are. And Seth Moulton does not.”

The issue has become a flashpoint in Democratic politics. Republicans have used it as a rallying point on the campaign trail, and many Democrats have avoided the topic as the party works to retake control of Congress. Moulton has argued the party’s stance on transgender athletes contributed to Democratic losses in 2024.

“I have two little girls, I don’t want them getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete, but as a Democrat I’m supposed to be afraid to say that,” Moulton said at the time.

Massachusetts has not elected a Republican senator since 2013, when Scott Brown lost to Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. Given the state’s strong Democratic lean, Markey’s position on transgender athletes is unlikely to hurt him in the November general election.

The primary win also represents a victory for the party’s progressive wing. Markey, a co-author of the Green New Deal resolution, was backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

The result comes as a setback to Democrats around the country pushing for generational turnover in the party’s leadership, a movement that gained momentum following the turmoil surrounding former President Joe Biden’s reelection bid. Some longtime incumbents have lost this cycle, including Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., 78, who was defeated by Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, 47. But Markey held on despite Moulton’s focus on age.

This is not the first time Markey, 80, has beaten back a younger challenger. In 2020, he defeated former Rep. Joe Kennedy III in a primary that similarly focused on whether it was time for new leadership in the Senate.