Rep. Seth Moulton ’01 To Face Off Against Sen. Markey in Senate Run

Representative Seth W. Moulton ’01 (D-Mass.) launched his bid for Senate Wednesday in a posted campaign video, saying in the announcement that incumbent Ed J. Markey (D-Mass.) was too old to run again.

Moulton, a Marine veteran, represents the Sixth Congressional District of Massachusetts, which covers the region from Salem to Amesbury. He ran in the Democratic primary for the 2020 presidential election but dropped out three months after the start of his campaign.

Moulton compared the reelection bid of 79-year-old Markey to former U.S. President Joe Biden’s failed campaign in 2024, which sparked conversations within the Democratic Party about the age of lawmakers and generational turnover.

“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 in his campaign announcement video.

“I don’t think someone who’s been in Congress for half a century is the right person to meet this moment and win the future,” he added.

Markey was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2013 and also previously served as a representative in the U.S. House from 1976 until 2013, spending more than 50 years in federal government.

The 2026 Senate race is not the only time Markey’s age has raised concerns. Though they aligned on key issues, Joseph P. Kennedy III, Markey’s challenger in the 2020 Senate election, focused his campaign on Markey’s age and a need for new leadership.

Kennedy lost that election by 11 points.

Sen. Edward J. Markey speaks at a Democratic Party election night watch party in Boston in November 2022. By Julian J. Giordano

Cam Carbonnier, Markey’s campaign manager, slammed Moulton’s decision to launch his campaign during the ongoing government shutdown while “Senator Markey is doing his job” in an emailed statement to The Crimson.

“That’s what leadership looks like and what the residents of Massachusetts expect from their Senator,” Carbonnier added.

Moulton has received backlash for his comments about transgender athletes, a topic he has suggested was the reason for Democrats’ struggles in the 2024 election.

“I have two little girls. I don’t want them getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete,” he said in a November 2024 interview with The New York Times. “But as a Democrat, I’m supposed to be afraid to say that.”

Moulton, the first high-profile challenger in this election, faces the task of winning over the public despite widespread support for the incumbent.

Markey, who launched his 2026 re-election bid in July, has received endorsements from many Massachusetts lawmakers, including fellow senator Elizabeth A. Warren (D-Mass.) and five current Massachusetts House representatives.

Massachusetts State Rep. Marjorie C. Decker renewed her support for Markey in a Wednesday statement to The Crimson, calling him a “national leader” who has challenged “the injustice and harmful policies that are hurting communities across the country” caused by the Trump administration.

Markey has also spoken out in support of Harvard in its clashes with the White House, describing the administration’s review of $9 billion in Harvard’s federal funding as “authoritarianism” in an April statement to The Crimson.

“We must call it out for what it is,” Markey said. “We cannot guarantee freedom if we let Trump march in and steal freedom while we remain silent.”

Moulton has indicated he plans on prioritizing affordable housing, expanding childcare funding, and improving public transportation, according to his campaign website.

“Senator Markey is a good man, but it’s time for a new generation of leadership, and that’s why I’m running for U.S. Senate,” Moulton said.

—Staff writer Megan L. Blonigen can be reached at megan.blonigen@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X at @MeganBlonigen.

—Staff writer Frances Y. Yong can be reached at frances.yong@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X at @frances_yong_.