{"id":2652065,"date":"2026-08-31T06:36:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T10:36:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ed-markeys-progressive-credentials-outweigh-age-concerns\/"},"modified":"2026-08-31T06:39:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T10:39:18","slug":"ed-markeys-progressive-credentials-outweigh-age-concerns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ed-markeys-progressive-credentials-outweigh-age-concerns\/","title":{"rendered":"Ed Markey&#8217;s progressive credentials outweigh age concerns"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fed-markeys-progressive-credentials-outweigh-age-concerns%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2652065&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), aged 80, faces a primary challenge from Congressman Seth Moulton in Massachusetts. Despite concerns about his age and long tenure, Markey remains popular among liberal voters, emphasizing his progressive credentials such as support for the Green New Deal and Medicare for All. Moulton, 47, has attempted to highlight generational change and accused Markey of being out of touch with modern technology, but polls show Markey leading by as much as 35 points, especially among liberal voters.Historically, Markey has survived similar challenges, including one from Joe Kennedy in 2020. The race reflects a broader Democratic trend toward embracing younger, more progressive candidates, but markey&#8217;s strong ideological stance and endorsements from prominent progressives continue to bolster his position.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At a glance, Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ed-markey\/\">Ed Markey<\/a> (D-MA) is exactly the sort of Democrat who should be at risk of succumbing to an <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4702960\/socialist-surge-threatens-democrats-new-hampshire-senate-race\/\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kamala-harris-is-running-against-democrats-socialist-vibe\/\" title=\"Kamala Harris is ... against Democrats&#039; socialist vibe\">anti-establishment wave<\/a><\/a> that has taken down a dozen incumbents this cycle, many of them older.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Markey is 80 years old and has been in Congress longer than his opponent, Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/seth-moulton\">Seth Moulton<\/a> (D-MA), has been alive. And he\u2019s running in an environment that has at times favored younger upstarts \u2014 candidates who\u2019ve been able to separate themselves from the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolling.com\/polls\/favorability\/democratic-party\">damaged<\/a> Democratic Party brand.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4704764\/seth-moulton-age-ed-markey-massachusetts-senate\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Octogenarian Ed Markey\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >progressive credentials outweigh age concerns<\/a> in Massachusetts<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4705693\/trump-el-sayed-predicts-socialism-sink-democrats\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump says el Sayed is \u2018out of it\u2019 and predicts socialism will sink Democrats<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4705619\/jim-clyburn-el-sayed-apology-michigan-senate\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Jim Clyburn supports el Sayed after Senate hopeful\u2019s apology: \u2018He\u2019s our nominee\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So it\u2019s not surprising that Moulton, the 47-year-old congressman who famously challenged Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/nancy-pelosi\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"454\">Nancy Pelosi\u2019s<\/a> (D-CA) speakership, has attempted to make age a flashpoint in the race, accusing Markey of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wbur.org\/news\/2026\/08\/28\/markey-moulton-senate-primary-generation\">clinging to his seat<\/a> \u201cwhile the world passes him by\u201d and calling for a new generation of leadership.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But there is another part of Markey\u2019s biography that is likely to spare him from that trend on Tuesday, when <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/massachusetts\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"344\">Massachusetts<\/a> voters head to the polls for one of the final primaries of the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2026-election\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"11675\">2026 election<\/a> cycle.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Markey is a longtime progressive who has taken to quipping that his ideas are young, even if he is not. And polls show that primary voters care more about ideology than about how long Markey has been in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/congress\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"31\">Congress<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In their primary matchup, Markey is comfortably ahead of Moulton by <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/polls\/massachusetts-us-senate-election-polls-2026.html\">as much as 35 points<\/a> \u2014 buoyed by an overwhelming majority of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umass.edu\/news\/article\/experience-trust-drive-bay-state-primary-voters-support-markey-over-moulton-new-umass\">self-described liberal<\/a> voters. Moulton, by contrast, has been dogged by the perception that he\u2019s a centrist in a deep-blue state. <\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He and Markey are aligned on most issues, but Moulton has <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4690491\/transgender-rights-fight-raging-massachusetts-senate-primary\/\">squirmed<\/a> over his past opposition to transgender athletes participating in girls\u2019 sports. He also hasn\u2019t gone as far as Markey on his support for government-run healthcare.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s a much more progressive electorate \u2014 your progressive bona fides are important,\u201d said <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umass.edu\/political-science\/about\/directory\/tatishe-m-nteta\">Tatishe Nteta<\/a>, a political science professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the director of the UMass Poll.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf you look at Ed Markey on the campaign trail, you cannot help but notice every time he talks about two things: his support for the Green New Deal and Medicare for All,\u201d Nteta added. \u201cAnd what he\u2019s doing is reminding voters here in Massachusetts of those progressive bona fides.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Markey, who is running for his third full term in the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/senate\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/senate\/\">Senate<\/a>, has reinforced that rhetoric with a spate of endorsements from progressive allies in Congress. On Saturday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and two Massachusetts colleagues, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), held a get-out-the-vote rally for Markey in Boston.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s not that Markey isn\u2019t vulnerable to attacks on his age. He <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/transcripts.cnn.com\/show\/cnc\/date\/2026-08-26\/segment\/08\">played clean-up<\/a> after musing that he wasn\u2019t sure what software he uses on his iPad at their final debate. Moulton seized on the comment to accuse him of being tech-illiterate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWith all due respect, senator, if you don\u2019t even know what you\u2019re using on your phone or your iPad, like, this is why we need a new generation of leaders to regulate these technologies,\u201d <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4695816\/markey-fumbles-question-ai-seth-moulton-new-generation\/\">Moulton said<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, polls show those attacks haven\u2019t landed in the same way as they have for other Democrats running on a message of generational change. In neighboring Connecticut, the former mayor of Hartford was able to defeat 78-year-old Rep. John Larson (D-CT), a 14-term incumbent.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/news.ballotpedia.org\/2026\/08\/27\/eleven-u-s-house-incumbents-have-lost-primary-elections-so-far-this-year-the-second-highest-since-2014\/\">Similar upsets<\/a> have taken place in states ranging from Texas to Colorado to New York.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Part of what makes Markey an apparent outlier is the ideological rift with Moulton. He is running at a time when the Democratic voting electorate has gravitated toward dyed-in-the-wool progressives and their disruptive brand of politics.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moulton, a six-term congressman, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/newsletters\/playbook-pm\/2026\/08\/20\/markey-vs-moulton-01043372\">says<\/a> there are \u201ctwo progressives in this race\u201d and has called for the abolishment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement as a way to tap into that sentiment, but surveys show he\u2019s still regarded in Massachusetts as more centrist.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In cases where a progressive was unseated from their congressional seat this cycle, they were typically facing an equally liberal or outright <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/socialism\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"510\">socialist<\/a> challenger.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moulton had an uphill battle against Markey from the outset of his campaign. Markey, who spent more than three decades in the House before his election to the Senate, is a generally popular incumbent, particularly among Democratic voters who will decide Tuesday\u2019s primary election.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A UMass poll released earlier this month found Markey had an 82% approval rating among self-identified Democrats and 56% of voters overall. That\u2019s despite respondents most often labeling Markey \u201cold\u201d when asked for one word to describe him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s not the first time Markey has been in this situation. Six years ago, he faced a challenge from another younger Democrat: former Rep. Joe Kennedy, who lost by an <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2020\/09\/01\/us\/elections\/results-massachusetts-senate-primary-election.html\">11-point margin<\/a> \u2014 and that was with a more liberal reputation than Moulton.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe have already seen the argument about Ed Markey being too old, the need for generational change, and emphasizing his long tenure in the U.S. Congress, and that was articulated by a candidate who was viewed as a progressive, and not just a progressive, but a Kennedy \u2026 who does represent a new generation, and it didn\u2019t work in 2020,\u201d said Nteta, the University of Massachusetts professor.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Apart from age, Moulton has <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/sethmoulton.com\/markey-dscc\/\">attempted to tie<\/a> Markey to Democratic leadership in the Senate and has found daylight to his left by announcing that he would oppose Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) if elected to the Senate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Markey is noncommittal on whether he would do the same, instead painting Moulton as beholden to special interests.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/4703425\/embattled-jimmy-gomez-step-aside-dads-caucus-chairman\/\">EMBATTLED CALIFORNIA DEMOCRAT TO STEP ASIDE AS DADS CAUCUS CHAIRMAN<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The attacks continue Moulton\u2019s long-standing emphasis on generational change. He was among the first Democrats to call for President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential race. He also led a House rebellion against Pelosi in 2018. She cruised to another term as speaker but, as a concession, agreed to limit her tenure and step down four years later.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Markey, who would be 86 at the end of another term, has pledged not to run again in 2032.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), age 80, faces challenge from younger opponent<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2651,"featured_media":2652066,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26013640784670-e1787950221907.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[84899,84900,65257,84901,37443],"class_list":["post-2652065","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-ageism-2","tag-democratic-congress","tag-ed-markey","tag-political-credentials","tag-progressive-politics"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26013640784670-e1787950221907.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2652065","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2651"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2652065"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2652065\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2652069,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2652065\/revisions\/2652069"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2652066"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2652065"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2652065"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2652065"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}