80-Year-Old Sen. Ed Markey Holds Off Younger Challenger in Democratic Primary
A “generational showdown”
Tuesday’s primary was considered by many to be a “generational showdown” between Markey, 80, and Moulton, 47.
During the campaign, Moulton contended that it was time for change in the state’s political representation.
“Massachusetts has a choice: settle for the status quo, or demand better,” he said in a social media post Tuesday morning.
The young moderate rose in the polls earlier this year, narrowing the gap between himself and the two-term incumbent. But in the month or so leading up to Tuesday’s primary, polls showed that Markey had regained ground, and was holding a comfortable double-digit lead.
This isn’t the first time Markey, who served in the House for nearly 37 years before winning a seat in the Senate in 2013, has held off a younger primary challenger. In his last reelection bid, the then-74-year-old Senator defeated then-Rep. Joseph Kennedy III, who is 34 years his junior, to advance to the November ballot.
