San Francisco, CA - August 23, 2019: Presidential candidate Seth Moulton speaking at the Democratic National Convention summer session, announcing his withdraw from the presidential race. (Shutterstock/ Sheila Fitzgerald)
By BallotWire
2025
Massachusetts U.S. Representative Seth Moulton launched a primary challenge against U.S. Senator Ed Markey on October 15, transforming a safe Democratic seat into a flashpoint over generational change and the party's future direction.
Moulton, a 46-year-old former Marine Corps officer, made age and political renewal the centerpiece of his announcement. He didn't mince words: "I just don't believe that Senator Markey should be running for another six-year term at 80 years old…Senator Markey is a good man, but it's time for a new generation of leadership."
The Massachusetts Democrat further stated that he believes Democrats have failed to stop President Trump's agenda. This blunt statement frames the race not merely as a contest between two politicians but as a referendum on the Democratic Party's generational divide.
Markey, who first arrived in Congress in 1976—the year Jimmy Carter was elected president—has been a durable force in Massachusetts politics for nearly half a century. He won his last full Senate term in 2020 with 66 percent of the vote, brushing aside a previous primary challenge from then-Representative Joe Kennedy III. But that race, too, centered on questions of age and generational transition, and Markey prevailed in part by mobilizing younger progressives.
This time, the political terrain may be different. The Democratic Party is openly grappling with succession crises that have played out in real time, including Biden's decision not to seek reelection in 2024 amid widespread concerns about his fitness for another term.
Moulton's entry also creates immediate ripples down-ballot. Two Democrats announced House bids for his 6th District seat within hours of his Senate launch, setting off what will likely be a competitive scramble for an open seat in a solidly blue district.
For Democrats, the race poses uncomfortable questions. Do voters reward experience and institutional knowledge or demand fresh faces and new energy? The Massachusetts 2026 U.S. Senate primary may offer an early answer with implications far beyond New England.