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Dem senator, 79, draws primary challenge from Rep Seth Moulton
By Rachel Wolf
Published October 15, 2025
Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., is facing a challenger who is making age a central issue of his bid to unseat the longtime lawmaker.
On Wednesday, Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., launched his U.S. Senate campaign with a video called "Lesson," referencing what his party learned during the last election cycle with then-President Joe Biden.
"We're in a crisis, and with everything we learned last election, I just don't believe Senator Markey should be running for another six-year term at 80 years old. Even more, I don't think someone who's been in Congress for half a century is the right person to meet this moment and win the future," Moulton said in his campaign launch video.
Markey is 79 years old and will turn 80 before the 2026 election.
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Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., launched his bid to unseat Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., on Oct. 15, 2025. (Greg Nash/Pool via Reuters; Alex Brandon/Pool via Reuters)
"Senator Markey is a good man, but it's time for a new generation of leadership," Moulton asserted in the video.
Markey was first elected to Congress in 1976 and served as a U.S. representative until 2013, when he became a senator. He has held his Senate seat for 12 years.
In response to a request for comment, Moulton's campaign referred Fox News Digital to a launch announcement.
"Congressman Moulton has never been one to sit on the sidelines or wait to act when he sees a problem," the announcement read. "When he didn’t feel the party was doing enough to win back the House the last time Trump was in office, he recruited and mentored fellow veterans through his organization, Serve America. His candidates flipped more than half the seats Democrats took back from Republicans nationwide, and have outperformed the party in every election since."
Moulton's challenge could set the stage for a generational shift within the Democratic Party, which struggled last election cycle after Biden was forced to drop out of the race in July, leaving then-Vice President Kamala Harris with just 107 days to run her presidential campaign. She lost every swing state and the popular vote to now-President Donald Trump.
Then-President Joe Biden talks with Rep. Seth Moulton after the State of the Union address at the Capitol on Feb. 7, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Jacquelyn Martin/Pool via Reuters)
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This is not Moulton's first time challenging the Democratic establishment. When Moulton was first elected to Congress in 2014, he defeated then-Rep. John Tierney, D-Mass., who first made it to Congress in 1997. In 2018, Moulton attempted to challenge Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who was then House minority leader, in her bid to become House speaker. The move was criticized by some constituents who claimed Moulton's actions were sexist and ageist, according to Politico.
In 2020, Markey defeated Rep. Joe Kennedy III, who was 40 at the time. Politico noted that Markey took a swipe at Kennedy with a riff on his great uncle's famous line, "Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country." Markey also mocked the idea that he was too old to keep his seat, saying, "With 500 laws on the books, you think I'm gonna stop now? They wish."
Sen. Ed Markey is facing a primary challenge from Rep. Seth Moulton. (Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Markey will be put to the test once again in November 2026. If he defeats Moulton, Markey will be 86 at the end of his next term.
Fox News Digital reached out to Markey's office for comment.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dem-senator-79-draws-primary-challenge-from-rep-seth-moulton