Massachusetts Democratic primary is a generational clash as Rep. Seth Moulton targets Sen. Ed Markey

As Democrats across the U.S. signal an increasing appetite for change, U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton is hoping that momentum will help him oust longtime Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Ed Markey in Tuesday’s primary.

Moulton, a moderate, is among the many Democrats who have called for generational change this year as they challenge much older opponents.

Markey, 80, has been a fixture in Massachusetts politics since the 1970s and is seeking a third six-year term. Moulton, 47, has repeatedly argued that the Democratic Party is stuck in the “status quo” and questioned Markey’s accomplishments during his lengthy time holding political office.

“People ought to ask, what are you going to accomplish in the next six years that you haven’t been able to accomplish in the last 50?” Moulton said.

Markey has pointed to Moulton’s more moderate positions to argue that it is Moulton — not the older incumbent — who is out of touch with Massachusetts voters. Markey has boasted about his 2022 climate bill and called for an end to the war in Iran to bring down energy costs.

He also sharply criticized Moulton for opposing “Medicare for All” — though Moulton has called for universal healthcare.

“He has a backwards-looking political agenda,” Markey said.

In heavily Democratic Massachusetts, the primary is considered the most critical election hurdle, and the winner is expected to prevail in the general election in November.

The Senate race is not the only generational challenge for Democrats on Tuesday’s ballot. A similar dynamic is playing out in the 8th Congressional District, where Patrick Roath hopes to oust longtime incumbent Rep. Stephen Lynch, and in the 1st Congressional District of western Massachusetts, where progressive public school teacher Jeromie Whalen is running against Rep. Richard Neal.

Moulton’s comments on transgender children have been an issue

During the campaign Markey repeatedly pointed out that Moulton, in 2024, raised eyebrows among some in the party for saying he did not want his daughters playing sports against transgender girls.

Critics said he was echoing President Donald Trump’s talking points against allowing transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s sports.

Moulton has since apologized for his remarks, saying it was not his intention to hurt the transgender community and stressing his support for other transgender rights bills.

“If you’re in the trans community or you’re a trans kid feeling the weight of the Trump administration and the Supreme Court, you matter,” Moulton said during an August debate. “You’re valued, and I will always have your back.”

Moulton, who enlisted in the Marines after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and served four tours of duty in Iraq, was first elected to Massachusetts’ 6th Congressional District in 2014. He launched a 2020 presidential campaign but dropped it after a few months.

Markey was elected to the Senate in 2013. Before that he represented Massachusetts’ 7th Congressional District from 1976 to 2013.

Markey notably fended off a previous challenge in 2020 from Rep. Joe Kennedy III, a younger rival from one of the nation’s most famous political families. Markey did so by aligning himself with the liberal wing of the Democratic Party.

Longtime Democratic House incumbents also face younger challengers

Lynch, 71, has held the 8th District seat in south Boston since 2001. He faces Roath, a 39-year-old lawyer who contended that it is time to end “wait-your-turn” politics. Lynch stressed the value of experience inside Congress.

Lynch has fended off other youth challenges in the past, but Roath’s campaign is hoping for a boost of excitement after longtime Democratic incumbent U.S. Jim Larson was defeated by former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin in August in neighboring Connecticut. Like Roath, Bronin called for the need for generational change while running against an establishment politician.

Meanwhile, the 1st District primary in western Massachusetts has pitted Neal, 77, against Whalen, 39.

Neal, known as the dean of the New England House delegation, was first elected in 1988. Whalen ran to the left of Neal, calling for Medicare for All and questioning whether Neal has done enough to oppose Trump’s agenda.

Whalen recently was endorsed by Our Revolution, a progressive organization founded by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.