Ed Markey, Dem Politician of 50 Years, Narrowly Leads Primary Foe in Poll

Massachusetts Democrat Sen. Ed Markey is narrowly leading his primary challenger, Rep. Seth Moulton, in a Bay State brawl over the future of the party, new polling suggests.

A May poll from Emerson College shows Markey leading Moulton 37% to 32% among likely Democrat primary voters.

The survey, which sampled 451 voters on May 3-4, has a 4.6% margin of error. Some 29% of Democrats are undecided.

There is a wide age gap between Markey, 79, and Moulton, 47. 

Moulton has emphasized Markey’s age throughout his campaign, saying, “With everything we learned last election, I just don’t believe Sen. Markey should be running for another six-year term at 80 years old,” in his announcement video.

However, per the new polling, Markey beats Moulton among younger Democrats.

“Voters under 50 break for Senator Markey by seven points, 33% to 26%, while voters over 50 are split: 40% support Markey and 38% support Moulton,” Emerson reports.

Taylor Hebble, a Moulton campaign spokeswoman, told The Daily Signal in a statement that the campaign views the poll positively.

“The momentum we are seeing on the ground has translated into an undeniable trend across recent polls,” said Hebble. “For a 49-year incumbent to remain stuck under 50% for five straight polls is a clear signal from Massachusetts voters that they are looking for a new generation of leadership.”

It is not the first time Markey has faced a young primary challenger.

In 2020, Markey defeated 39-year-old Rep. Joe Kennedy III, D-Mass., by over 10 points in the state’s Senate primary.

Markey, who has been in Congress since 1976, has honed his liberal reputation in recent years as a principal champion of the “Green New Deal” agenda alongside Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. 

Moulton has long had a rebellious edge. He successfully challenged a Democrat incumbent of almost two decades in his first House primary. 

In 2018, the Salem congressman was a leading figure in an ultimately unsuccessful effort to block Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., from being speaker of the House when Democrats won control of the chamber.

Markey and Moulton have been vocal opponents of President Donald Trump’s military action against Iran and his deportation policies. 

Moulton has also pledged to vote for new Democrat leadership in the Senate if elected.

Markey and Moulton’s campaigns did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

This article has been updated with comment from the Moulton campaign.