Markey will face U.S. Senator challenge from Moulton in 2026

Political observers: Malden native, career politician will face stiff opposition from Moulton, who is calling out Democrats for ‘inaction’ vs. President Trump

By Steve Freker

U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-6th District) announced Wednesday that he is launching a campaign challenge to longtime U.S. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) in the 2026 election cycle.

Sen. Markey is a lifelong Malden resident who is a career public servant, having served in office for over 50 years, since first being elected as a Malden state Representative in 1972. He then served in Washington, D.C., as a U.S. Congressman for nearly 40 years, from 1976-2013, before winning his U.S. Senate special election in 2013. Sen. Markey was elected to a full six-year term in 2016 and reelected in 2020, defeating then Congressman Joseph Kennedy III. The 2026 election would be a second full term for Markey, if reelected.

Moulton, an influential North Shore Congressman with a national following, announced his intentions in a YouTube video, ending speculation that has involved Markey’s Senate seat even since the last election, in 2020. While he was rumored to be considering a challenge to Sen. Markey in that election, it did not happen that year. In his announcement video Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Moulton, a Democrat, called out the Democratic “establishment,” claiming it has not effectively challenged the policies and actions of President Donald Trump since the Republican returned to office for a second, nonconsecutive term in January.

“Our party has clung to the status quo, insisted on using the same old playbook, and isn’t fighting hard enough. The next generation will keep paying the costs if we don’t change course,” Rep. Moulton said in the video.

Moulton also remarked directly on Sen. Markey’s age. “We’re in a crisis, and with everything we learned last election, I just don’t believe Senator Markey should be running for another six-year term at 80 years old,” Moulton said. Sen. Markey, 79, turns 80 in July 2026 and would be 86 at the completion of another term.

Sen. Markey announced nearly one year ago, in October 2024, that he fully intends to seek reelection in 2026. The term “generational fight within the Democratic Party” has often been cited since President Trump came back to the White House. In an interview with a Boston television station at that time, when asked directly about “whether it was time for generational change in the Senate,” Sen. Markey said this is the “most energized” he has ever been and he is ready for the fight ahead.

“It’s not your age, it’s the age of your ideas. And I’ve always been the youngest guy in the room,” Sen. Markey said, citing examples from his tenure, including the Green New Deal, climate change legislation and his existing push for a “privacy bill of rights.”

Age has been rising as an issue among Massachusetts political observers, with the “generational change” term at the forefront. Markey is the eldest congressional member from Massachusetts at 79, while U.S. Rep. Richard Neal and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who was reelected to a six-year term in 2024, are both 76. Even among the state legislature, Massachusetts has a number of longtime state Representatives and Senators in their 70s and 80s, including Malden Rep. Paul Donato, who turns 84 this month and is running for reelection this November, Senate Majority Leader Cynthia Creem, 83, and Sen. Pat Jehlen, 82. House Speaker Ron Mariano will turn 79 on Halloween, and Senate President Karen Spilka is 72. Secretary of State William Galvin has been at the helm for 30 years and is now 75.

Moulton, who turns 47 this month, said Wednesday, in his video, that Markey is “a good man” but he should nevertheless move on after decades in Congress. “I don’t think someone who’s been in Congress for a half century is the right person to meet this moment and win the future,” Moulton said.

Moulton has a history of challenging those in power. He was first elected to Congress in 2014 after defeating incumbent Rep. John Tierney and tried to block Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) from becoming speaker in 2018.

Markey has been in Congress since 1976 and would be 86 at the end of another term. At 79, he’s one of the oldest members of Congress seeking reelection next year. Markey has faced the “generational change” position before and won, in 2020, over then-Rep. Joe Kennedy III by double digits. Markey was boosted by an “army” of younger, digital-savvy supporters. His trademark Converse sneakers, an ode to his youthful backers, became well-known in that campaign, which was waged in the midst of the once-in-100 years pandemic.

Lately, Sen. Markey has been rolling out endorsements from prominent lawmakers and labor unions for weeks amid rumors of a potential primary challenge.