Pull to refresh
Logo
What Changed
Following Why Sign Up
Ed Markey defeats Seth Moulton in Massachusetts Senate primary

Ed Markey defeats Seth Moulton in Massachusetts Senate primary

Rule Changes

80-year-old progressive wins third Senate term after fending off generational challenge

November 3rd, 2026: Markey wins third Senate term

Overview

Updated Sep 4

Ed Markey won a third full Senate term on Nov. 3, defeating Republican John Deaton, the Associated Press projected. The win keeps Massachusetts' Senate seats in Democratic hands.

Markey, 80, survived a primary challenge from Rep. Seth Moulton in September, taking 64.8% of the vote to Moulton's 35.2%. Moulton argued the party needed younger leaders. Markey campaigned on Medicare for All, the Green New Deal and a Trans Bill of Rights, and said this term would be his last. He will be 86 when it ends in 2033.

Why it matters

Markey's win shows progressive records can still beat age-based challenges in Democratic primaries.

Questions about this story

Free account needed to ask — your question is kept and asked for you right after sign-up. Answers are public.

No questions yet — be the first to ask.

Key Indicators

64.8%
Markey's share of the primary vote
Markey took 64.8% to Moulton's 35.2% in the September 1 primary.
33
Years between Markey and Moulton's ages
Markey is 80, Moulton is 47.
3
Senate terms Markey has won
Elected in 2013, 2020 and 2026.
2
Younger challengers Markey has defeated
Markey beat Joe Kennedy III in 2020 and Seth Moulton in 2026.
50
Years Markey has served in Washington
Markey first won a House seat in 1976.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

Sign up to generate historical perspectives on this story.

Log in Sign Up

People Involved

Ed Markey
Ed Markey
Incumbent U.S. Senator from Massachusetts
Won third Senate term; said this would be his last term
 Seth Moulton
Seth Moulton
U.S. Representative from Massachusetts' 6th district
Lost primary, endorsed Markey
 John Deaton
John Deaton
Republican nominee for U.S. Senate
Lost general election to Markey

Organizations Involved

Sunrise Movement
Sunrise Movement
Progressive youth organization
Endorsed Markey in the primary

Youth-led climate advocacy group that backed the Green New Deal.
Massachusetts Democratic Party
Massachusetts Democratic Party
State political party
Primary context

The state party's primary electorate leans heavily progressive.

Timeline

October 2025 November 2026

5 events Latest: November 3rd, 2026 · 1 week ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Markey wins third Senate term

    Latest Election

    Markey defeated Republican John Deaton, the Associated Press projected. He will be 86 when the term ends in 2033.

  2. Markey declared winner

    Election

    Markey delivers victory speech, credits young activists for the win.

  3. Markey wins primary

    Election

    The Associated Press called the race for Markey on election night. He took 64.8% to Moulton's 35.2%.

  4. Markey says next term would be his last

    Statement

    Markey said during the campaign that this would be his last term.

  5. Moulton launches Senate campaign

    Campaign

    Rep. Seth Moulton announces challenge to Sen. Ed Markey, arguing the party needs new leadership.

Scenarios

1

Markey wins third full term in November

Deadline passed (Nov 4, 2026)

Discussed by: The Associated Press and Boston Globe note Markey is heavily favored in deep-blue Massachusetts

Markey defeated Republican John Deaton on Nov. 3, 2026. Deaton lost to Elizabeth Warren by about 20 points in 2024. Massachusetts has not elected a Republican to the Senate since 1972.

2

Markey serves full term through 2033

Likely Resolves by Jan 3, 2033

Discussed by: Markey himself, who said his next term would be his last

Markey has said he needs one more term to finish his progressive agenda, then he will step down. If he wins in November and serves his full term, he would be 86 when it ends in 2033.

3

Markey leaves Senate before term ends

Possible Resolves by Jan 1, 2032

Discussed by: Moulton and the Boston Globe, which endorsed Moulton, suggested Markey might not be able to finish his next term

Moulton argued that Markey's "decision to cling to power" puts progressive priorities at risk, suggesting he might not be able to finish his term. If Markey's health declines or he chooses to step down early, a special election or appointment would follow.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

September 2020

Markey vs. Kennedy (2020)

Rep. Joe Kennedy III, then 39, challenged Markey, then 74, in the Democratic Senate primary. Kennedy argued for generational change. Markey ran to the left, embracing the Green New Deal and Medicare for All, and won by about 10 points.

Then

Markey won the primary and the general election.

Now

The win cemented his status as a progressive champion.

Why this matters now

This is the same pattern: an older progressive incumbent defeating a younger challenger by running to the left.

Spring-Summer 2026

The 2026 primary wave

In the 2026 midterm primaries, a historic number of incumbent lawmakers lost to younger challengers who argued they had been in office too long or weren't progressive enough.

Then

Many incumbents fell, but Markey survived.

Now

The result complicates the narrative that incumbents are vulnerable this cycle.

Why this matters now

Markey's win is the exception to the 2026 pattern, showing that progressive credentials can outweigh age concerns.

June-July 2024

The 2024 presidential age debate

Both major party presidential candidates were in their 80s. President Biden's age became a central issue after a poor debate performance against Donald Trump, and he dropped out in July 2024.

Then

Biden's exit showed that age can be a decisive political liability.

Now

It set a precedent for age-based challenges to older incumbents.

Why this matters now

Moulton tried to make Markey's age the central issue, but Massachusetts voters were less moved by age concerns than national voters were in 2024.

Sources

(16)
+10
NPR NBC News Georgia Public Broadcasting The Boston Globe WBUR GBH WCAX Commonwealth Beacon Al Jazeera CBS News Boston Boston 25 News Axios Boston AP News Boston.com GBH Boston 25 News