Ed Markey fends off Seth Moulton in Massachusetts Democratic primary amid age jabs

Senator Ed Markey has held off Seth Moulton's age challenge after winning the Democratic primary for Senate in Massachusetts on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.

Moulton, 47, had challenged incumbent Markey by arguing to voters that his opponent was too old to be effective at his job.

Moulton had served six-House terms and made every attempt to sell to his voters of his youth as an asset but failed after Markey, an 80-year-old who has been on Capitol Hill for five decades, beat him Tuesday night.

'With roughly 91% of the total votes counted as of 1:41 a.m. ET on September 2, the incumbent led Molton by nearly 30 points, according to CNN projections.

The debate surrounding long-term serving lawmakers heated up when the two candidates faced off in a debate in August.

Senator Markey challenged his opponent, saying, “I think everyone watching this debate can see that I’m more energised than I’ve ever been before in my life. I am crisscrossing the state. I’m fighting for families.”

Moulton said his opponent had spent less time holding town halls and candidate forums, and attacked when the senator responded to a question about what AI tools he used by answering “whatever is inside of my iPhone and my iPad—whatever comes up”.

In response, Moulton said, “Senator, if you don’t even know what you’re using on your phone or your iPad, this is why we need a new generation of leaders to regulate these technologies to make sure that they are safe.”

Markey, who first elected to the House in 1976, has been viewed as a leading advocate of proposals to set up a universal single-payer healthcare system and draft energy policies that have far-reaching consequences, known as “Green New Deal.

On the other hand, Moulton, who first elected to the House after he won election to a northeastern Massachusetts district in 2014, is opposed to the idea of single healthcare proposals.

In deep-blue Massachusetts, the prospects of Markey winning a third full term in the upcoming Nobember midterms are strong.

Sen. Markey faces the Republican nominee John Deaton in November midterms.