Massachusetts held primary elections on Tuesday, with established Democratic incumbents successfully defending their seats against challenges from younger candidates. Senator Ed Markey, 80, secured the Democratic nomination by defeating 47-year-old Representative Seth Moulton. Similar results occurred in House races, where 71-year-old Representative Stephen Lynch prevailed over 39-year-old progressive lawyer Patrick Roath in the 8th District, and 77-year-old Representative Richard Neal defeated 39-year-old public school teacher Jeromie Whalen in the 1st District.
Markey’s victory was notable given the age differential between the candidates and differed from Moulton’s campaign message emphasizing generational change. Markey ran as the more progressive candidate with backing from prominent left-wing figures including Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders, as well as support from Senator Elizabeth Warren and the state’s congressional delegation. Moulton, a Marine veteran positioning himself as the more moderate alternative, received endorsements from groups including VoteVets and New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill. The race also featured attacks on Moulton regarding his previous comments about transgender girls’ sports participation, though he later apologized and reaffirmed his support for the transgender community.
The Massachusetts results contrasted with recent Democratic primary outcomes in other states, where younger progressive candidates have defeated long-serving incumbents. In Connecticut last month, former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin defeated 78-year-old Representative John Larson, while in Colorado and New York during earlier primary seasons, younger candidates also toppled veteran lawmakers. In Massachusetts, the common factor across all three major races appeared to be the strength of long-serving politicians rather than ideological alignment, as both progressive and moderate challengers fell short.
In the 6th Congressional District, vacated by Moulton, former Biden White House aide Koh won the five-way Democratic primary. Koh stood out by openly embracing the Biden administration and received endorsements from former President Joe Biden, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and former Labor Secretary and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. All three Democratic nominees are heavily favored to prevail in November’s general election within Massachusetts’s strongly Democratic electorate, meaning the primary results effectively determined much of the state’s next congressional delegation.
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