US Rep. Seth Moulton has announced his candidacy to challenge Senator Ed Markey in the 2026 Massachusetts Senate race. Now, Massachusetts natives can expect a contest between Moulton and Markey?
Markley is a longtime progressive stalwart who has represented Massachusetts in Congress since 1980 and is running for his third Senate term.
Moulton introduced his campaign through a video in which he presents himself as a veteran and a progressive advocate on issues like healthcare and gun control, promising a fresh perspective for the state and the nation. He started the video saying, “Instead of talking about my battle, I’m going to talk about ours.”
Moulton’s campaign long criticised Markey’s age and long tenure in Congress. Moulton said, "Someone who's been in Congress for half a century is the right person to meet this moment and win the future."
"We're in 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," he added.
Moulton’s video also criticised the Democratic Party for failing to counter President Trump’s agenda, a point he had made previously with The New York Times.
Questions about Moulton's candidacy circulated for weeks after The Boston Globe reported that he was considering a Senate run.
In this context, he also said, “I won’t wait to help people who need help right now. It’s why I won’t wait to do the hard thing and call out what’s not working in our own party. And it’s why we can’t wait to protect our families from Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans. We can win the future we all deserve, and we can do it now.”
Some of his remarks sparked backlash from progressive circles, particularly comments suggesting that Democrats should not focus on defending transgender athletes’ participation in youth sports. Moulton later clarified that while his wording could have been more careful, he intended to advocate for a broader Democratic coalition unafraid of difficult discussions.
Additionally, other national figures, including Rep. Ayanna Pressley, have not ruled out joining the contest, making this Senate race a closely watched and potentially transformative battle for Massachusetts Democrats. As per Politico, her spokesperson did not rule out the possibility of her candidacy for the Senate seat and said, “The congresswoman remains focused on serving her district and effectively fighting back against the White House’s attacks on the LGBTQ+ community, Black and brown folks, and our immigrant neighbours."
