In their last televised showdown before Massachusetts’ Sept. 1 Democratic Senate primary, Rep. Seth Moulton and Sen. Ed Markey went on the offensive from the opening moments, with the 47-year-old congressman once again casting the race as a choice between a new generation and an aging incumbent.
The debate, hosted by WCVB-TV, WBUR-FM, and The Boston Globe in Boston, came just days before early voting begins Saturday. Polls have consistently shown Markey holding a comfortable lead over Moulton, who is waging an uphill challenge against the 80-year-old progressive stalwart.
Moulton tries to claim progressive mantle
Throughout the campaign, Moulton has sought to position himself as the more progressive option, even as he has sometimes leaned toward centrist talking points. That tension was on display Thursday when he praised Democratic socialists' focus on affordability while also citing moderate governors like Abigail Spanberger of Virginia and Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey as models of success.
“I have put forward such a progressive affordability agenda that plants the flag in the ground and says that housing, healthcare, and education should be human rights,” Moulton said.
Markey, meanwhile, leaned into his endorsements from Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as well as Elizabeth Warren, arguing that the party must move left. “Our party has to become more progressive,” he said. “We have to stand up for what the people are talking about at the grassroots, especially young people.”
Markey touted his leadership on the Green New Deal and Medicare for All, saying young voters want to expand on those ideas. “They want to take what I’ve already led on, and they want to build it even bigger,” he said.
Age and generational change take center stage
Moulton has made Markey’s age and length of service a central theme, and he returned to it in his closing remarks. “I’m running against the senator’s decision after 50 years in Washington, to run for another term at age 80,” the congressman said. “I believe in a new generation of leadership. I believe we can do better than the status quo.”
Moulton reiterated his support for congressional age limits, while Markey said that if a lawmaker “can’t do the job, they should just step down.”
The age divide sharpened when Markey admitted he didn’t know which AI platforms were on his iPhone or iPad. Moulton pounced: “With all due respect, senator, if you don’t even know what you’re using on your phone or your iPad, like, this is why we need a new generation of leaders to regulate these technologies.”
Markey fired back that he is “more energized than I’ve ever been before,” and accused Moulton of “having a hard time keeping up” on the trail. On AI, Markey said the app’s name isn’t what matters—it’s the safeguards his legislation would build around the technology.
Markey renews attacks on Moulton over transgender rights
Markey also revisited Moulton’s 2024 comments about transgender girls and women in sports, which Moulton has since apologized for. The senator argued that Moulton’s remarks hurt vulnerable youth. “Congressman Moulton threw those kids under the politic…” Markey said, before being cut off by the moderator.
Moulton tried to clarify his position, affirming that transgender athletes should be allowed to play in accordance with their gender identity, but adding that there should be a “discussion” about “issues of safety and fairness.”
The debate underscored the deep generational and ideological fissures within the Massachusetts Democratic Party, even as the winner of the primary is heavily favored to win the general election in November.
