Results of US Primaries Confound Democrats' Calculations

The results of primary elections in several states have bewildered the Democratic Party and placed its leaders on the defensive, with less than two months remaining until the midterm elections. The rise of new progressive figures, at the expense of several candidates from the party’s traditional establishment, has sparked internal disagreements over the priorities and identity of the Democratic base.

The primary race in Massachusetts for a U.S. Senate seat further complicated the picture, with incumbent Senator Ed Markey defeating Representative Seth Moulton. Markey, 80, soundly defeated Moulton, 47, indicating that the assumption that the Democratic base necessarily wants to elect younger faces to Congress is inaccurate.

However, Markey is considered one of the most prominent progressive lawmakers, and his victory over the moderate Moulton reinforces the belief that progressive trends still wield strong influence within the party. Markey indeed campaigned on this basis, highlighting his progressive record and securing the backing of prominent progressive figures in Congress, including Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Moulton, for his part, repeatedly criticized Markey’s progressive stances during the campaign, a strategy that clearly did not serve him in the state where Markey has represented the Senate seat since 2013.

After his defeat, Moulton sought to highlight the significant age and generational gap between himself and the senator, stating, “Challenging the party establishment and calling for a new generation of leadership is not easy, but it is necessary. I will continue to pressure the Democratic Party and our country to look to the future.”