Massachusetts progressive Markey, a longtime Israel critic, expected to rout centrist challenger

Ed Markey entered Massachusetts’ Democratic Senate primary facing a race that initially looked close. By September, several polls showed the 80-year-old incumbent with a commanding advantage over 47-year-old Rep. Seth Moulton.

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At the end of the day, one of the reasons for Moulton’s flame-out is that he had no case to make other than ‘I’m younger than Ed Markey.’

The University of New Hampshire’s Bay State Poll projected Markey would win 63% to 28%, compared with a 41% to 35% estimate in June. The University of Massachusetts Amherst put the race at 60% to 32%, while Emerson College Polling showed Markey ahead 60% to 33%.

The shift reflected Markey’s consolidation of socialist and progressive support, according to Bay State, while Moulton lost backing among moderate voters. Boston attorney and former Senate investigative counsel Jeff Robbins said Moulton had struggled to offer a case beyond his age advantage. “At the end of the day, one of the reasons for Moulton’s flame-out is that he had no case to make other than ‘I’m younger than Ed Markey,’” Robbins said. “He wasn’t able to obscure that very well.”

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He wasn’t able to obscure that very well.

Markey began serving in the House of Representatives 50 years ago and moved to the Senate in 2013. He belonged to the Congressional Progressive Caucus and has voted for resolutions seeking to cut military aid and munitions sales to Israel.

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new energy, new ideas and leaders willing to put people over politics

Moulton, who entered the House in 2015, has criticized the Democratic socialist agenda and the party’s aging establishment. He has called for “new energy, new ideas and leaders willing to put people over politics,” and created the Serve America PAC to support military veterans, service-driven candidates and younger leaders. The Boston Globe endorsed him, calling for “new vision and vigor” in an aging party.

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new vision and vigor