National

Seth Moulton Chances of Beating Ed Markey in Massachusetts Senate Primary

Democratic Senator Ed Markey led Representative Seth Moulton by 5 points in a new Emerson College poll of the MassachusettsSenate race released on Thursday.

Moulton, 47, is running against Markey, 79, in a race that reflects debate over calls for generational change in the Democratic Party-but also has ideological divides, as Moulton is seen as more centrist than Markey. The poll suggests a close race between the two Democrats. A Moulton victory would be stunning, as incumbent senators rarely lose in primary challenges.

Markey received the backing of 37 percent of Democrats in the poll, while 32 percent said they planned to vote for Moulton. Twenty-nine percent said they were still undecided about who they would support in the primary.

The poll surveyed 451 likely voters from May 3-4, 2026, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.6 percentage points.

This is a breaking news story. Updates will follow.

 L: Representative Seth Moulton speaks at a DNC meeting on August 23, 2019. R: Senator Ed Markey speaks in Washington, D.C., on January 13, 2026.
L: Representative Seth Moulton speaks at a DNC meeting on August 23, 2019. R: Senator Ed Markey speaks in Washington, D.C., on January 13, 2026.

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This story was originally published May 7, 2026 at 5:35 PM.

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