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Rep. Seth Moulton announced Tuesday he will challenge Sen. Edward J. Markey in the 2026 Democratic primary, framing the race as a generational test for a party he said must rebuild after electoral losses and arguing that new leadership is overdue.
Moulton, 46, released “Lesson,” a three-minute, 23-second video emphasizing the 33-year age gap between himself and Markey, 79, saying Democrats need to move beyond their current playbook to regain voter trust.
“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 in his announcement. “Even more, 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. Senator Markey is a good man, but it’s time for a new generation of leadership.”
The challenge marks the second intraparty fight in five years for Markey, who has held his Senate seat since 2013 and entered the House of Representatives in 1976. If reelected, he would be 86 at the end of a third term.
Markey survived a 2020 primary against then-Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III by rallying progressives behind his work on climate policy, including his partnership with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on the Green New Deal framework. That victory, which defied predictions and the Kennedy family’s political influence in Massachusetts, showed Markey’s ability to energize younger activists despite his long tenure.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren has already endorsed Markey for 2026, praising his legislative record and progressive credentials in a video released by his campaign.
“The people of Massachusetts deserve a progressive champion who knows how to fight back and get things done in the United States Senate, and that’s why I’m proud to endorse Ed Markey for re election,” Warren said. “Ed has the fight, the experience and the vision to meet the moment we are in. He’s my partner, my friend, and a real force in Washington. He always has my back, and I know he’ll always have yours.”
Warren highlighted Markey’s work holding corporate executives accountable, securing funding for clean energy, expanding opioid addiction treatment, supporting Alzheimer’s research and establishing Juneteenth as a national holiday. She emphasized his blue-collar roots and commitment to working families.
“He stands up for a government that doesn’t just work for the giant corporations or the billionaire class, but that works for you,” she said.
Moulton represents Massachusetts’ 6th District, which stretches along the North Shore from Amesbury to Marblehead. A Marine Corps veteran who served four tours in Iraq, he holds three degrees from Harvard University and has built a reputation as a persistent critic of Democratic Party leadership. His calls for generational change date back to 2018, when he sought to block Nancy Pelosi from reclaiming the speakership after Democrats regained the House. He argued then that the party needed younger leaders to connect with voters and has continued to back candidates with military backgrounds as part of his effort to broaden the party’s appeal.
He briefly ran for president in 2020, emphasizing his military service and reform message before ending his campaign. In Congress, he has positioned himself as willing to challenge party leaders when he believes change is necessary.
In his announcement video, Moulton recounted serving in combat without seeking recognition, saying he preferred to focus on the struggles Americans face today. He highlighted economic pressures on working families, the need for universal health care and action on climate change and gun violence.
“Let’s talk about how hard people are working just to stay afloat, and how unaffordable everything has become,” he said. “Let’s talk about our need for universal health care and how Republicans would rather shut down the government than lower health care costs.”
His platform includes expanding high-speed rail to cut carbon emissions, creating union jobs, increasing investment in affordable housing and strengthening mental health services. He cited his work on the bipartisan 988 National Mental Health Lifeline, which he said has connected more than 13 million people in crisis to support. He also pledged to pursue an assault weapons ban.
The race unfolds amid Democratic soul-searching following the party’s 2024 losses. Moulton has urged Democrats to confront those defeats directly. In his announcement, he criticized party leaders for failing to counter what he described as harmful policies from the Trump administration.
“Our party has clung to the status quo, insisted on using the same old playbook and isn’t fighting hard enough,” he said. “The next generation will keep paying the cost if we don’t change course.”
Moulton’s message of reform has been complicated by controversy. After the 2024 election, he told The New York Times he was concerned about fairness in youth sports involving transgender athletes and said Democrats often avoid difficult conversations for fear of causing offense. The remarks drew backlash from LGBTQ advocates and state party leaders.
In July, Bethany Andres-Beck, a 40-year-old software engineer and Democratic activist who identifies as transgender, announced a primary challenge against Moulton for his House seat. Andres-Beck, who uses they/them pronouns and works for the health care software company Aledade, said Moulton’s comments showed a disconnect from voters and argued that Democrats’ struggles stem from appearing out of touch rather than from supporting transgender rights.
Andres-Beck grew up in rural Oregon and moved to Massachusetts in 2001 to attend Smith College, where they earned a degree in costume design. They later worked as a software engineer on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, helped organize for Warren’s 2012 Senate run and now serve on Middleton’s Affordable Housing Trust and Master Plan Committee.
Moulton has defended his remarks, saying they were meant to spark honest debate. In his Senate announcement, he framed his willingness to challenge party orthodoxy as an asset, saying Democrats must be willing to examine what is not working.
“Real people across Massachusetts are being hurt by Democratic leaders refusing to do everything they can to win,” he said. “We’ve got to look in the mirror and be honest. It’s time for change.”
Moulton’s decision to pursue the Senate seat while facing a House primary creates uncertainty about the 6th District race. If he wins the Senate primary but loses the general election, he would leave Congress. If he loses the Senate primary, he would have to win reelection to retain his seat.
He enters the Senate race with $2.1 million in cash from his unopposed 2024 House campaign, compared with Markey’s $2.5 million, according to June 30 Federal Election Commission filings.
Moulton first won the 6th District seat in 2014 and has been reelected since, taking about 65% of the vote in 2024. He has deep roots on the North Shore, having grown up in Marblehead, and his campaign is expected to emphasize his military service and appeal to independent voters.
The Democratic primary is scheduled for Sept. 1, in 2026. Moulton’s path will depend on whether voters are persuaded that it is time for a change — or whether, as in 2020, they conclude that Markey’s tenure is an asset rather than a liability.
