Geriatric Democrat Senator Fends Off Young-Blood Challenger In Rare Win For Old Guard

DemDemocratic Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey defeated Democratic Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton Tuesday in a landslide, marking a rare win for the old-guard incumbents.

Young Democratic candidates have largely defeated older incumbents in 2026 primary elections. Eighty-year-old Markey defied that precedent by beating 47-year-old Moulton, who is more moderate than the incumbent.

Markey co-sponsored the Green New Deal, supported Medicare for All and received endorsements from independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and “Squad” member Democratic Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley. Further-left candidates have won several races and defeated incumbents throughout the 2026 cycle, including Democratic Colorado congressional candidate Melat Kiros, who defeated longtime incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette in July.

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is on pace to field its largest congressional delegation in its history. Young, college-educated voters have turned out in droves to support younger, more progressive candidates.

It is less common for older incumbents to defeat their younger opponents in recent Democratic primaries. Democratic Reps. Shri Thanedar of Michigan, John Larson of Connecticut and Adriano Espaillat of New York — who are all over the age of 70 — all lost their races to younger candidates.

“Democratic voters are hungry for a new generation of leaders who can credibly argue they’ll fight for change” Amanda Litman, founder of left-wing group Run For Something, told Axios.

Moulton ran as the moderate, receiving endorsements from Democratic New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, Democratic New York Rep. Pat Ryan and Democratic Rhode Island Rep. Seth Magaziner, according to his campaign website. He campaigned on affordability, outlined a plan for encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and creating a public option for healthcare.

Markey supports allowing irreversible procedures for trans-identifying minors, abolishing ICE and implementing “universal healthcare,” according to his campaign website.

This is the second consecutive election cycle in which Markey prevailed against a younger challenger. In 2020, the then-74-year-old senator defeated then-39-year-old Rep. Joe Kennedy III — the nephew of now Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. —in the Democratic Senate primary.

Markey has held elected political office since 1973, when Richard Nixon was president — five years before Moulton was born. He served in the Massachusetts State House from that year to 1976, the U.S. House from 1976 to 2013 and the Senate since 2013.

Some older House Democrats faced pressure to drop out and ultimately did not run for reelection. These Democrats included Jerry Nadler of New York, Steve Cohen of Tennessee, Lloyd Doggett of Texas and Eleanor Holmes Norton. Cohen faced a primary challenge from 31-year-old Tennessee state Rep. Justin Pearson, and ultimately dropped out after Tennessee redrew his district’s lines.