Sen. Ed Markey has fended off a challenge from Rep. Seth Moulton in the Massachusetts Democratic primary for Senate, Decision Desk HQ projects.
Page B1From§Eachthe wee small hours edition — 2 September 2026
Massachusetts Democratic primary tests age, wins on age, reports age, debates age, closes on age
Born in the era of rotary phones, the Massachusetts Democratic primary this year was less a contest of policy than a census of birthdays. Incumbent Ed Markey, 80, survived a challenge from Seth Moulton, 47, in a race where the headlines themselves seemed to age as they went. The press dutifully notes, in every report, that Markey is 80, that his challenger is younger, and that the voters are thinking about generational change. Yet, the result is the same: the old guard remains. The primary, as reported, was less an election than a ritual of counting candles. Markey fends off the challenge, the party debates age, the electorate wonders about change, and the newspaper prints the number, again and again. Survived by the narrative of generational tension, preceded in death by the hope that anything but age would decide the contest. In lieu of flowers, please send a birthday card to your local senator, addressed to 'The Future.'
“Every headline's stuck on how old Markey is. If you want generational change, they say, you get to talk about it—then you vote for the same guy, and the papers print his age in bold. The party puts up the 'new blood' sign, but the old guard keeps the keys. The stakes are your kid's future, hon, and the election's a birthday party for the senator.”
“Look, the voters chose experience, and experience means age—did I say that? I meant wisdom. If you go all-in on generational change, sometimes the best change is no change. We celebrate tradition, continuity, and, uh, whatever keeps the seat blue. Did I mention the age? That doesn't sound like me.”
The receipts
Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) is all but certain to secure a third term in the November general election after clinching the Massachusetts Senate Democratic primary Tuesday against the younger, more centrist Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA).
Democratic Sen. Ed Markey defeated Rep. Seth Moulton in the Senate primary in Massachusetts, NBC News projects, in a victory for the party’s progressive wing.
The race centered on whether Markey, 80, was too old to serve a third term in the Senate. The longtime liberal stalwart will be 86 by the end of his next term.
Bucking a push for younger leadership this election season, Sen. Ed Markey, 80, won the Democratic nomination against Rep. Seth Moulton, 47, who said that his party needed new leaders.
Sen. Ed Markey, 80, is set to face 47-year-old Rep. Seth Moulton in Massachusetts on Tuesday in a Democratic primary for Senate set to be marked by discussions of age and generational change.
Ed Markey defeated Seth Moulton's generational change campaign by leaning into progressive credentials and taking a bold stance on transgender rights in sports.
Markey’s win is a rare victory for the old guard
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.