Progressive Markey Decisively Wins Massachusetts Senate Primary as Moderate Congressmen Fend Off Left-Wing Primary Challengers

In a year of upheaval for the Democratic Party, Massachusetts Democrats on Tuesday decided to send their entire federal delegation back to Congress. From the progressive left represented by Senator Ed Markey to the establishment embodied by Congressman Richard Neal, every Democrat survived their respective challenges on primary day. From New York to Colorado to California, the story of the 2026 midterm elections has been that of a revolt against the Democratic Party as it exists. More sitting House Democrats have lost their primaries this year than at any point since 2002, and several Democrats who have decided to retire will almost certainly be succeeded by individuals who are to the left of their successor. Massachusetts voters, however, chose to stick with their lawmakers. On Tuesday, Mr. Markey — who, in November, will have been in Congress for 50 years — easily dispatched his primary opponent, Congressman Seth Moulton. Mr. Moulton, age 47, has represented the North Shore since 2015 and ran a campaign based on “generational change.” He lost the primary to the 80-year-old Mr. Markey by nearly 30 points. “It’s all about not just sending a Democrat to the Senate, it’s sending a progressive Democrat to the Senate from Massachusetts so there can be someone that reflects your values every single day,” Mr. Markey said at an election eve rally on Monday. After he was declared the victor on Tuesday night, he promised to continue fighting for universal healthcare, the Green New Deal, and expanded union rights. Mr. Moulton, a Harvard-educated Marine who won two Bronze Stars in Iraq, opposes Medicare for All and the inclusion of transgender athletes in girls’ sports — points Mr. Markey made sure to bring up throughout the campaign. Despite progressives’ success with Mr. Markey, three other, more moderate congressmen all survived left-wing challenges. The highest-ranking of those was Mr. Neal, who has represented western Massachusetts since the late 1980s. Mr. Neal is poised to once again become chairman of the Ways and Means Committee — Congress’s tax-writing panel — if Democrats take the majority in November. He won his primary by just six points despite outraising his opponent seven times over. Congressman Stephen Lynch, the last Democrat in the House who voted against the Affordable Care Act, also fended off a more progressive challenger. Attorney Patrick Roath lost to Mr. Lynch by nearly 14 points, even though he was endorsed by a former Democratic governor, Deval Patrick, and the outside spending organization Leaders We Deserve, which has successfully boosted a number of progressive Democratic challengers this year. A third lawmaker, Congressman Bill Keating, beat his opponent by more than 55 points. Mr. Keating, age 73, has represented Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and parts of the South Shore and South Coast since 2011.

Progressive Markey Decisively Wins Massachusetts Senate Primary as Moderate Congressmen Fend Off Left-Wing Primary Challengers

Progressive Markey Decisively Wins Massachusetts Senate Primary as Moderate Congressmen Fend Off Left-Wing Primary Challengers

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