Markey defeats Moulton in Massachusetts Democratic Senate primary

Ed Markey won Massachusetts' Democratic primary for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, turning back a challenge from U.S. Representative Seth Moulton and securing the party's nomination for a third full term. The 80-year-old incumbent will now face Republican John Deaton in November's general election.

Markey has represented Massachusetts in the Senate since 2013, building his political identity around progressive causes—most notably the Green New Deal, which he championed alongside Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. On primary day, voting in his hometown of Malden, he laid out the agenda he intends to carry forward: Medicare for all, aggressive taxation of billionaires, and an end to what he characterized as an illegal war in Iran. In his victory speech, he called the result a vindication of the progressive movement itself, and outlined an ambitious second-term platform that included passing a Transgender Bill of Rights, abolishing ICE, and removing what he called the flow of defense spending he blamed on the Trump administration.

Moulton, a Marine Corps veteran who has represented the state's 6th Congressional District since 2014, ran as the candidate of generational change. He argued that Massachusetts needed fresh solutions to emerging challenges—artificial intelligence chief among them—and suggested that Markey, who has served in Congress continuously since 1976, was out of step with those demands. Moulton's campaign emphasized his record as a disruptor within his own party; he had led an unsuccessful effort to block Nancy Pelosi's ascension to House speaker in 2018 and mounted a presidential campaign in 2020. Yet policy differences between the two Democrats were minimal. Moulton's central argument rested on age and tenure rather than substantive disagreement. Markey has said he remains energized and has pledged that this term, if he wins it, will be his last.

Moulton conceded gracefully Tuesday night, telling supporters that while challenging the establishment was necessary work, Markey had his full backing in the general election. He framed his campaign as having opened conversations the party needed to have, and said he would continue pushing Democrats toward the future.

Beyond the Senate race, Massachusetts held primaries across multiple offices. In the 6th Congressional District, vacated by Moulton's Senate run, Democrat Dan Koh won the nomination over five other candidates. In the 8th District, incumbent Representative Stephen Lynch faced a well-funded challenge from attorney Patrick Roath, whose campaign spent more than a million dollars in an attempt to unseat the longtime South Boston congressman. On the Republican side, businessman Mike Minogue, who secured the party's endorsement at the state convention in April, defeated former MBTA chief Brian Shortsleeve in the gubernatorial primary. Minogue will face incumbent Democratic Governor Maura Healey in the fall.

The state also held primaries for district attorney positions. In Norfolk County, seven Democrats are competing to replace Michael Morrissey, who is stepping down after 16 years. The race has centered on high-profile cases including the Karen Read trials and the investigation into Sandra Birchmore's death. In Suffolk County, former U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins is attempting to reclaim her old position as district attorney, challenging incumbent Kevin Hayden. Rollins resigned from her federal post in 2023 following an ethics investigation.