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New poll shows Moulton with lead over Markey in potential Senate primary
Sen. Ed Markey will be 80 on election day and is seeking another six-year term. He could face significant primary challenges from Reps. Seth Moulton and Ayanna Pressley.
Seth Moulton:
Although the midterm elections are more than a year away, political observers in Massachusetts are ramping up speculation about two key topics: how Gov. Maura Healey will fare in her reelection bid and whether Sen. Ed Markey will have any major challengers.
A new poll released this week by the Fiscal Alliance Foundation offers some insight into where things could be headed. It showed bad news for Markey and a more mixed landscape for Healey.
Markey has already announced plans to seek reelection for another six-year term, but could be in for a tough primary fight if a few notable challengers throw their hats into the ring. Two high-profile Democrats from Congress could be seen as viable candidates to go up against Markey: Rep. Seth Moulton of Salem and Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Boston.
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Markey, who will be 80 years old on Election Day, would leave himself open to attacks from younger candidates who say that the aging Democratic establishment needs to go. Many voters have concerns about Markey’s age. A total of 63% of respondents to the new poll said that he should not seek reelection.
When proposed with a hypothetical matchup between Moulton and Markey, 43% of voters favored Moulton compared to just 21% who favored Markey, according to the poll results. Among Democrats, Moulton leads Markey 38% to 30%.
Moulton is seriously considering a primary challenge, The Boston Globe recently reported. The congressman has been approached by political figures who are supportive of Markey in public and private, but are also concerned with the senator’s age.
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When reached for comment, Moulton told the paper that he is looking at the “best options to represent Massachusetts,” and has not yet made a decision about running for Senate.
Moulton, who is seen as more center-left than progressives like Markey and Pressley, is facing a primary challenge of his own from software engineer Bethany Andres-Beck. Local Democrats were incensed by comments Moulton made about transgender student athletes in the wake of the 2024 election and began looking for someone to challenge Moulton.
Pressley has built a name for herself nationally through her association with the group of progressive congresspeople known as “the squad.” As such, she is primed to make use of a national fundraising base and portray herself as the most progressive candidate in any potential Senate race.
In public comments, Pressley has said that she is focused on protecting her district from attacks by the Trump administration, but has not explicitly ruled out a Senate run.
When faced with the prospect of a matchup between Pressley and Markey, poll respondents still favored Markey, 34% to 30%.
The Fiscal Alliance poll surveyed 750 likely general election voters between Sept. 23 and Sept. 24. It had a 3.6% margin of error.
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The poll also gave a glimpse at the state of next year’s race for governor. Three prominent Republicans are already jostling for the chance to take on Healey in the general election.
Mike Kennealy, a Lexington Republican who served as Secretary of Housing and Economic Development in the administration of former Gov. Charlie Baker, announced his candidacy back in April. Brian Shortsleeve, a venture capitalist who managed the MBTA under the Baker administration, followed about a month later. Businessman Michael Minogue announced his candidacy this week, and was not included in the recent polling.
In a hypothetical matchup with Kennealey, voters favored Healey 45% to 34%. In a potential matchup with Shortsleeve, Healey received the support of 46% of voters compared to Shortsleeve’s 31%.
However, independents make up the majority of the electorate and do not appear fond of Healey. Kennealy is leading Healey among independents, 43% to 33%. Shortsleeve is leading Healey 40% to 35%.
A recent poll from UNH showed better signs for Healey. It found that 51% of Massachusetts voters think that she deserves to be reelected, up from just 37% in May. A total of 46% of residents have a favorable opinion of Healey, while 11% are neutral and 39% disapprove of her.
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