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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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“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.
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.
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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.”
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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 and Moulton’s offices for comment.
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