Sen. Ed Markey edges out challenger Seth Moulton in Massachusetts primary

Polls closed Tuesday night in Massachusetts’ Tuesday primary election. One Senate seat, all nine congressional districts, a gubernatorial bid, and a variety of state and local offices were on the ballot.

Eighty-year-old Democratic Sen. Ed Markey secured the nomination for reelection in the race against Rep. Seth Moulton, who currently represents the North Shore, according to the Associated Press. Markey will face off against U.S. Marine veteran and trial lawyer John Deaton, who ran unopposed for the Republican Senate nomination. Markey is seeking to secure a third term as the second-oldest incumbent U.S. senator up for reelection in 2026. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., were among Markey’s endorsees.

What about the gubernatorial race? Michael Roger Minogue secured the nomination for the Republican ticket, according to the Associated Press.  Maura Healey ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

What about the House seats? All nine of Massachusetts’ congressional districts are currently represented by Democrats. This year, only five of the House races have a Republican candidate. The only race without an incumbent was Moulton’s 6th District, where six Democrats and one Republican fought to take his place. In that race, former Andover Selectman Dan Koh secured the Democratic nomination. In the 5th District, incumbent House Minority Whip Katherine Clark was challenged by union organizers Jonathan Paz, and Tarik Samman, but no Republican candidate.

For the latest results on those races, click here.

As of February 2025, the Bay State consisted of about 5 million registered voters—1.3 million Democrats, 423,000 Republicans, 49,000 minor party voters, and 3.3 million with no party affiliation—according to the Associated Press. The election was a semi-closed primary, meaning only voters registered with a party or unaffiliated voters may vote for that party’s candidates.

Dig deeper: Read Micah Barkley’s report on the recent lawsuit filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts to challenge an executive order by President Donald Trump that aims to restrict mail-in voting.