Markey Defies Age Concerns, Defeats Moulton In Massachusetts

Massachusetts Democrats just put progressive ideals ahead of age concerns.

Octogenarian Sen. Ed Markey, 80, defeated 47-year-old Rep. Seth Moulton on Tuesday in a bruising Senate primary that put Democrats’ preference for like-minded ideology over generational change on full display — and gave progressives another victory in their yearlong battle with moderates.

The primary flipped the script on other anti-incumbent clashes this cycle in which younger, progressive challengers ousted older, more moderate incumbents.

Markey, who’s served in Congress for nearly a half-century, leveraged his left-wing bona fides as a Green New Deal coauthor and Medicare for All champion to fend off the more-moderate six-term representative and military veteran who argued it was time for a new generation of leadership. He got an assist from a number of progressive luminaries, with endorsements from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).

Moulton had support from more moderate names and fellow military veterans like New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, as well as from service-oriented groups like VoteVets and New Politics. But he faced an uphill battle against the popular incumbent and struggled to overcome progressives’ criticism of his past remarks about transgender athletes.

It’s the second election in a row that Markey has survived a right-flank challenge from a younger opponent. He is the heavy favorite to win in November for what he says will be his last term.