BOSTON — Incumbent Sen. Ed Markey pushed back on claims that he’s too old to run for reelection in a fiery debate with younger challenger Rep. Seth Moulton Wednesday, where the two veteran lawmakers squared off on the issues with less than two months until the Democratic primary.
During the hour-long live-streamed debate, hosted by WWLP 22News, the two hammered away over who had the best plans for lowering the cost of living and pushing back against the Trump administration’s divisive policies.
Moulton, a six-term congressman challenging Markey in the Sept. 1 Democratic primary, said while he “respects” Markey’s 50 years of public service, he believes voters want a change in leadership.
“This is not about being critical of age,” Moulton, 47, said in remarks. “It’s about the fact that we need new ideas and a new playbook. We need new plans and new leadership.”
But Markey, 79, said he is ready to return to Washington for another six years, regardless of his age.
“This is the most energized I’ve ever been, fighting Donald Trump’s agenda to undermine families all across our country,” the three-term senator said in remarks. “And I lead that fight on the Senate floor.”
He argued that he is better positioned than Moulton — who would be a freshman senator if elected in November — to divert money and resources back to the state as a ranking member on several key Senate committees if Democrats retake the Senate.
Both traded barbs over whether they have benefited financially from their long tenures in Washington, D.C., and whether they have leveraged their elected jobs to boost their investments and holdings.
Early in the debate, Markey launched into an attack on Moulton over his investments in startup firms tied to the defense sector that he has made while serving on the House Armed Services Committee.
He accused the congressman of benefiting from “sweetheart” deals many private investors can’t get.
“He’s reaped millions of dollars from those investments from those companies that come before his committee,” Markey said. “That’s just wrong … it should be illegal … and he should divest from those holdings.”
Moulton countered he has been “completely transparent” about his family’s finances, making his and his wife’s tax returns available for a review and pointed to Markey’s investments in dozens of companies that have appeared before committees he has served on over the years.
He called on Markey to release his family’s tax returns, suggesting as he has previously that the senator is trying to shield his assets from public disclosure.
“Senator, if you have nothing to hide, just disclose your family’s finances,” Moulton said. “I think that’s a fair question for the people of Massachusetts to ask.”
Markey countered that his investments are tied to mutual funds that are available to average investors, claiming “there’s a big difference between that and what Congressman Moulton has been doing.”
The two candidates also shared their plans for lowering the state’s high cost of living, protecting transgender individuals and immigrants, pushing for universal healthcare coverage and other progressive issues that resonate with many Democratic voters.
Wednesday’s clash between the two lawmakers is the first of three scheduled debates ahead of the fall elections.
Markey won the Democratic Party’s endorsement at its convention in June after picking up more than 70% of the vote from delegates.
Moulton picked up nearly 27% of the votes at the convention, more than enough to secure a spot on the Democratic primary ballot.
The latest polling shows a tightening contest between the two candidates.
Depending on how viewers gauge Moulton’s performance it could be a big boost for the challenger, who is looking to build name recognition in western Massachusetts. Moulton has been visiting cities and towns in the region trying to drum up support for his Senate bid.
For Markey, the debate was an opportunity to push back on suggestions that he is too old to seek another six-year term in office.
Markey is running for reelection amid questions of generational power in U.S. politics, which continue to loom over the Democratic party after then-President Joe Biden’s embarrassing exit from the 2024 presidential race.
Moulton has made Markey’s age a key factor in his bid to unseat the veteran lawmaker.
The winner of the Democratic primary will face Republican John Deaton, a cryptocurrency attorney and advocate, making his second run for U.S. Senate.
Ahead of Wednesday’s debate, Deaton fired off an email issuing a “friendly challenge” to political observers to guess how many times each of the Democrats mention Trump’s name.
“Both candidates are running the same tired playbook: obsess over Trump while Massachusetts families struggle with high taxes, failing infrastructure, and one-party complacency,” Deaton said in a statement. “Whether it’s Markey’s decades-old routine or Moulton’s ‘new generation’ rebrand, it’s all anti-Trump rhetoric with zero solutions for the Bay State.”
Christian M. Wade covers Massachusetts state government and politics for CNHI News and North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.