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Ongoing story / Ed Markey

The 2026 Massachusetts Senate race: Ed Markey vs. Seth Moulton

Overview · reviewed November 5, 2026

Sen. Ed Markey won reelection in Massachusetts in November 2026, defeating Republican John Deaton, after beating Rep. Seth Moulton in the state's September 1 Democratic primary.[1][2] The primary pitted the progressive incumbent, seeking a third full term, against a more moderate challenger who questioned his age and record.[2][3][4]

Read the timeline

Follow this story to see new developments when you return.

The primary pitted the progressive incumbent, seeking a third full term, against a more moderate challenger who questioned his age and record.[2][3][4]

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · weekly (UTC)

Week of 2025-10-13 (UTC): 3%, 6 of 182 tracked outlets (1 left, 2 center, 3 right)Week of 2025-10-20 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-10-27 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-11-03 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-11-10 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-11-17 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-11-24 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-01 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-08 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-15 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-22 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-29 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-05 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-19 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-16 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-23 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-16 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-23 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-30 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-06 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-13 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-20 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-27 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-04 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-11 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-18 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-25 (UTC): 3%, 5 of 185 tracked outlets (2 left, 1 center, 2 right)Week of 2026-06-01 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-08 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-15 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-22 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-29 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-06 (UTC): 1%, 6 of 560 tracked outlets (2 left, 3 center, 1 right)Week of 2026-07-13 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-20 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-27 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-03 (UTC): 1%, 6 of 537 tracked outlets (5 left, 1 center, 0 right)Week of 2026-08-10 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-17 (UTC): 1%, 6 of 464 tracked outlets (2 left, 2 center, 2 right)Week of 2026-08-24 (UTC): 2%, 7 of 466 tracked outlets (2 left, 4 center, 1 right)Week of 2026-08-31 (UTC): 12%, 55 of 475 tracked outlets (17 left, 27 center, 11 right)Week of 2026-09-07 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-14 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-21 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-28 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-05 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-19 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-02 (UTC): 1%, 7 of 471 tracked outlets (3 left, 2 center, 2 right)Week of 2026-11-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outlets, so far

LeftCenterRightLighter bar: this week so far

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings. We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 4 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (8 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Nov 2, 20263227 of 4711%
Aug 31, 202617271155 of 47512%
Aug 24, 20262417 of 4662%
Aug 17, 20262226 of 4641%
Aug 3, 20265106 of 5371%
Jul 6, 20262316 of 5601%
May 25, 20262125 of 1853%
Oct 13, 20251236 of 1823%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Nov 3, 2026 · first reported · Headline from WHDH Boston

    Ed Markey wins reelection to U.S. Senate from Massachusetts

Background

Rep. Seth Moulton, a moderate Massachusetts Democrat, challenged Sen. Ed Markey in the 2026 Democratic primary. At the state party convention in May, Markey won the party's endorsement by 46 points, while Moulton secured enough delegate support to appear on the primary ballot.[5]

The two met in three debates,[3][6] trading attacks over Markey's age, Moulton's stance on transgender athletes, and each other's records and attendance for votes in Washington.[4] Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Markey in August,[7] and polls showed him leading going into the final debate.[6] Markey won the September 1 primary,[2] and the candidates' clash over transgender athletes became a test of how Democrats talk about the issue.[8]

Supporting stories (8)
  1. Markey wins reelection to US Senate from Massachusetts
  2. Senator Ed Markey wins Massachusetts Democratic primary
  3. First U.S. Senate debate between Markey and Moulton: Here are five takeaways
  4. Moulton and Markey spar in Democratic primary debate
  5. Markey wins Massachusetts Democrats’ endorsement as Moulton clears ballot hurdle in Senate race
  6. Watch live: Ed Markey and Seth Moulton debate for final time before Democratic Senate primary
  7. AOC endorses Markey in Senate primary
  8. Two Dems clashed on trans athletes. What does Markey's primary win reveal?

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 9 recorded updates

November 2026

  1. Markey wins reelection to US Senate from MassachusettsHeadline from WPRI Providence · 7 outlets

September 2026

  1. Two Dems clashed on trans athletes. What does Markey's primary win reveal?Headline from St. Louis Post-Dispatch · 1 outlet

August 2026

  1. Senator Ed Markey wins Massachusetts Democratic primaryHeadline from The Guardian · 57 outlets
  2. Watch live: Ed Markey and Seth Moulton debate for final time before Democratic Senate primaryHeadline from The Boston Globe · 3 outlets
  3. AOC endorses Markey in Senate primaryHeadline from WHDH Boston · 5 outlets
  4. Moulton and Markey spar in Democratic primary debateHeadline from NBC Boston · 6 outlets

July 2026

  1. First U.S. Senate debate between Markey and Moulton: Here are five takeawaysHeadline from GBH News · 6 outlets

May 2026

  1. Markey wins Massachusetts Democrats’ endorsement as Moulton clears ballot hurdle in Senate raceHeadline from Winchester Star · 5 outlets

October 2025

  1. Rep. Seth Moulton says he will challenge Sen. Edward Markey for Massachusetts seatHeadline from MyNorthwest · 6 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →