Sen. Ed Markey’s landslide win wasn’t about age. It was about who was standing behind him.
The 80-year-old Massachusetts Democrat beat Rep. Seth Moulton 64.9% to 35.1% in Tuesday’s primary, and the deciding factor wasn’t experience or seniority. It was star power: Sens. Bernard Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, plus Rep. Ayanna Pressley, all rallied behind Mr. Markey.
Mr. Moulton, a 47-year-old Marine combat veteran, argued Massachusetts needed “new leadership for a new era” and said Mr. Markey had spent decades in Washington without delivering enough for younger voters. But the backing of the party’s most prominent progressives proved to be the stronger force on primary night.
“Tonight is a testament to the power of the progressive movement,” Mr. Markey said at his election night party. “It is a progressive movement fueled by young people demanding more from their leaders.”
Mr. Markey’s landslide margin, paired with his top progressive endorsements, came even as Mr. Moulton pitched himself as the younger, more energetic alternative in the race.
Tuesday was also a strong night for other Massachusetts Democratic incumbents: Rep. Richard Neal, 77, and Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, 71, both fended off younger primary challengers running on similar generational-change messages.
Read more:
• Democrats’ generational-change candidates fall flat in Massachusetts: Markey, Neal and Lynch all win
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