NEW: Dem ‘Rising Star’ Loses Primary Bid Against Longtime Incumbent

Incumbent U.S. Senator Ed Markey defeated U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton in the Massachusetts Democratic primary for U.S. Senate on Tuesday night.

Notable forecasters such as the Associated Press and Decision Desk HQ called the race approximately 30 minutes after polls closed. With more than 95 percent of votes reported, Markey received 571,246 votes, or 64.8 percent, while Moulton received 309,870 votes, or 35.2 percent, according to results compiled by The New York Times.

Markey, 80, has served in Congress since 1976, first in the House and then in the Senate after winning a 2013 special election. Moulton, 47 has been seen as a “rising star” in Massachusetts Democratic Party politics over his six terms in the U.S. House.

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Incumbent Ed Markey, 80, defeats Seth Moulton, 47, in Massachusetts Democratic Senate primary https://t.co/KKIQpwkhBL pic.twitter.com/OIePlyT27w

— New York Post (@nypost) September 2, 2026

Moulton centered his campaign on generational change, stating that Markey was too old to seek another term that would end when Markey would be 86.   “Is he too old? Look, every political consultant will tell me not to say this, but the honest truth is, yes,” the congressman told the Boston Globe.  “I think that we need to learn the lessons of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Dianne Feinstein and Joe Biden,” he added.

Markey emphasized his legislative record, including co-sponsorship of the Green New Deal and support for Medicare for All. He received endorsements from Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), and groups such as the Sunrise Movement.

As for Moulton, he received support from some moderate Democrats and veterans’ organizations, including VoteVets. Moulton and allied groups spent $7.1 million on advertising, compared with $3.9 million spent by Markey and his allies, according to AdImpact.

Policy differences were limited, though Markey zeroed in on Moulton’s 2024 comments on transgender athletes in girls’ sports. Moulton had said he did not want his daughters “getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete.”

He later apologized after backlash from the party’s far-left, stating thathe was “sorry if my comments hurt you.” Markey frequently criticized the remarks during the campaign.

“Massachusetts needs a senator who stands up and fights back, a senator who never forgets who they are fighting for. That has been the mission of my life, and it always will be,” Markey said following his victory. He also described the result as a “testament to the power of the progressive movement” and added, “That fight is in our hands here in Massachusetts, in Maine, in Michigan. Our progressive movement knows how to fight. We cannot surrender tomorrow.”

Markey is almost certain to win re-election in November due to Massachusetts’ deep blue partisan lean.

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