Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton is making up ground fast against Sen. Ed Markey in the state’s Democratic primary, according to a new poll that shows the progressive incumbent’s once-commanding lead shrinking to single digits.
The survey puts Markey at 42% and Moulton at 35%, a significant tightening in a race that looked like a runaway just weeks ago. With 23% of voters still undecided, the June primary is shaping up as a referendum on how far left Massachusetts Democrats want to go — and whether seniority still matters in an era when voters increasingly want results over rhetoric.
Markey, 79, has served in Congress since 1976 and chairs the Senate Environment Committee. He’s built his campaign around the Green New Deal and climate activism, positions that energize progressives but may be wearing thin with voters more worried about everyday costs. Moulton, 47, represents a North Shore district and has positioned himself as the practical alternative — someone who can work across the aisle and focus on kitchen-table issues.
The generational contrast couldn’t be sharper. Markey survived a 2020 primary challenge from Rep. Joe Kennedy III by mobilizing young progressive activists. But six years later, that coalition appears less certain. Moulton has attacked Markey’s attendance record and questioned whether his decades in Washington have made him more interested in national progressive causes than Massachusetts priorities.
For Democratic primary voters facing inflation, housing costs, and concerns about national security, Moulton’s pragmatic pitch may be resonating. He’s emphasized his Marine combat experience and his willingness to break with party orthodoxy — including controversial statements on transgender athletes in sports that cost him staff but may have helped with moderate voters.
Markey’s campaign has dismissed the poll and pointed to his superior fundraising and endorsements from progressive heavyweights. But the narrowing gap suggests vulnerabilities. Massachusetts hasn’t ousted a sitting senator in a primary since 1978, but it hasn’t had a senator this old seeking another term in decades either.
With nearly a quarter of voters undecided five weeks before the primary, both candidates will need to make their closing arguments count. Markey will try to rally the progressive base that saved him before. Moulton will bet that Democrats want someone who can win swing voters in a year when holding Senate seats may determine whether Republicans maintain their majority.
The Massachusetts primary is June 17.
Key Points
- Seth Moulton trails Ed Markey by just seven points, 42% to 35%, with 23% undecided in June 17 Democratic primary
- Race tests whether Massachusetts Democrats want progressive seniority or pragmatic generational change in uncertain political climate
- Markey, 79 and in Congress since 1976, faces questions about effectiveness while Moulton pitches bipartisan problem-solving approach
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/seth-moulton-closing-gap-progressive-democrat-ed-markey-massachusetts-senate-primary – May 09, 2026
