Massachusetts Democratic primary is a generational clash as Rep. Seth Moulton targets Sen. Ed Markey

As Democrats across the U.S. signal an increasing appetite for change, U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton is hoping that momentum will help him oust longtime Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Ed Markey in Tuesday’s primary.

Moulton, a moderate, is among the many Democrats who have called for generational change this year as they challenge much older opponents.

Markey, 80, has been a fixture in Massachusetts politics since the 1970s and is seeking a third six-year term. Moulton, 47, has repeatedly argued that the Democratic Party is stuck in the “status quo” and questioned Markey’s accomplishments during his lengthy time in office.

“People ought to ask, what are you going to accomplish in the next six years that you haven’t been able to accomplish in the last 50?” Moulton said.

Markey has pointed to Moulton’s more moderate positions to argue that it is Moulton — not the older incumbent — who is out of touch with Massachusetts voters. Markey has boasted about his 2022 climate bill and called for an end to the war in Iran to bring down energy costs.

He also sharply criticized Moulton for opposing “Medicare for All” — though Moulton has called for universal healthcare.

“He has a backwards-looking political agenda,” Markey said.

In heavily Democratic Massachusetts, the primary is considered the most critical election hurdle, and the winner is expected to prevail in the general election in November.

The Senate race is not the only generational challenge for Democrats on Tuesday's ballot. A similar dynamic is playing out in the 8th Congressional District, where Patrick Roath hopes to oust longtime incumbent Rep. Stephen Lynch, and in the 1st Congressional District of western Massachusetts, where progressive public school teacher Jeromie Whalen is running against Rep. Richard Neal.

During the campaign Markey repeatedly pointed out that Moulton, in 2024, raised eyebrows among some in the party for saying he did not want his daughters playing sports against transgender girls.

Critics said he was echoing President Donald Trump’s talking points against allowing transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s sports.

Moulton has since apologized for his remarks, saying it was not his intention to hurt the transgender community and stressing his support for other transgender rights bills.

“If you’re in the trans community or you’re a trans kid feeling the weight of the Trump administration and the Supreme Court, you matter,” Moulton said during an August debate. “You’re valued, and I will always have your back.”

Moulton, who enlisted in the Marines after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and served four tours of duty in Iraq, was first elected to Massachusetts’ 6th Congressional District in 2014. He launched a 2020 presidential campaign but dropped it after a few months.

Markey was elected to the Senate in 2013. Before that he represented Massachusetts’ 7th Congressional District from 1976 to 2013.

Markey notably fended off a challenge in 2020 from Rep. Joe Kennedy III, a younger rival from one of the nation's most famous political families. Markey did so by aligning himself with the liberal wing of the Democratic Party.

Antoine Hilaire, a 76-year-old Democrat who voted for Markey in Brockton on Tuesday, said being older can be a positive because it offers people experience and wisdom.

“If the older one is doing the better job, I don’t know,” he said. “He’s doing a good job. It’s not a big, big, big problem.”

Lynch, 71, has held the 8th District seat in south Boston since 2001. He faces Roath, a 39-year-old lawyer who contended that it is time to end “wait-your-turn” politics. Lynch stressed the value of experience inside Congress.

Lynch has fended off other youth challenges in the past, but Roath’s campaign is hoping for a boost of excitement after longtime Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. John Larson was defeated by former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin in August in neighboring Connecticut. Like Roath, Bronin called for the need for generational change while running against an establishment politician.

Meanwhile, the 1st District primary in western Massachusetts has pitted Neal, 77, against Whalen, 39.

Neal, known as the dean of the New England House delegation, was first elected in 1988. Whalen ran to the left of Neal, calling for Medicare for All and questioning whether Neal has done enough to oppose Trump’s agenda.

Whalen recently was endorsed by Our Revolution, a progressive organization founded by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

Associated Press reporter Leah Willingham contributed from Brockton.

The story has been updated to correct Larson’s first name to John, from Jim.

FILE - Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., speaks during a news conference on Feb. 18, 2026, in New Albany, Ohio. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel, File)

Patrick Roath, a Democrat candidate challenging U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) in the 8th Congressional District, talks with residents at a retirement community, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in Westwood, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

In this combination photo, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., speaks during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, March 27, 2025, left, and Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., speaks during a candidate forum, Aug. 3, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo)

U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass. who is campaigning to unseat Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., speaks to prospective voters Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026, in Wakefield, Mass. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)

Sen. Ed Markey speaks during a Get Out the Vote event supporting Markey, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026 in Boston. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

Rain fell across parts of Texas and Louisiana on Tuesday as Tropical Storm Edouard moved toward the Gulf Coast, bringing the possibility of flooding as it was expected to strengthen significantly and possibly reach hurricane force, the National Hurricane Center warned.

Forecasters expected the storm to to make landfall in Texas on Tuesday and then rapidly weaken. In the meantime, several storms were brewing in the Pacific Ocean, including Lowell, which reached hurricane strength Tuesday morning.

Edouard was about 25 miles (35 kilometers) southeast of the Texas coastal city of Port Arthur, near the Louisiana border and close to the area where it was expected to make landfall. Maximum sustained winds were at 50 mph (85 kph).

The hurricane center said Edouard was expected to dump 3 to 6 inches (8 to 15 centimeters) of rain along the Texas coast through east-central Texas, but some areas could see up to 9 inches (23 centimeters). Southwestern Louisiana was expected to see lesser amounts.

“That rainfall could produce some flash flooding and river flooding,” said Brad Reinhart, a senior hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the biggest problem expected from the storm is flooding.

“This is our first big storm of the season, and I’ll tell you, Texas is prepared,” Orlando Alanis of the Texas Division of Emergency Management said during a news conference.

Crews worked Monday to clear dry vegetation that could ignite from a lightning strike and cause fast-spreading fires, Abbott said.

In Cameron, Louisiana, the winds had picked up and rain was coming through on and off Tuesday morning, said Connor Salvador, who owns an RV park there near the coast. “Nothing too crazy yet,” he said.

He said while there could be a “little bit” of flooding if they get a lot of rain, he wasn't too worried about Edouard.

“We’re pretty used to all these types of storms that come through,” he said.

Newly formed Hurricane Lowell in the Pacific Ocean was centered about 575 miles (925 kilometers) southeast of Hilo, Hawaii, on Tuesday morning. The storm’s maximum sustained winds had increased to 80 mph (130 kph). Forecasters said the hurricane was expected to remain several hundred miles away from Hawaii for the next several days at least, but swells from Lowell were likely to impact parts of the islands beginning Wednesday.

“This hurricane is likely to increase the surf and make for dangerous beach conditions and marine conditions for any boaters near the Hawaiian islands over the next few days,” said Andrew Hagan, a forecaster with the National Hurricane Center.

Tropical Storm Marie formed in the Pacific Ocean early Tuesday well offshore of southwest Mexico and wasn’t threatening land, the center said. The storm was about 400 miles (643 kilometers) southwest of Manzanillo with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (72 kph) and was moving northwest. Forecasters said Marie was gradually strengthening and was expected to become a hurricane by Wednesday night.

Elsewhere in the Pacific, Karina became a hurricane Sunday, fueled by warm waters far from any shore. It strengthened Monday into a powerful Category 4 storm but forecasters said Tuesday that it was expected to weaken. Forecasters said the storm centered 1,280 miles (2,059 kilometers) west-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula of Mexico carried maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (222 kph) but wasn't threatening land.

Meanwhile, the remnants of Tropical Storm Dolly brought rain and thunderstorms to parts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, the Turks & Caicos, and the Bahamas, the hurricane center said.

Associated Press journalist Julie Walker in New York contributed to this report.

Motorists drive by Texas Department of Transportation signs on I-610 as Tropical Storm Edouard approaches in Houston, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Dark clouds hand low over the horizon as Tropical Storm Edouard makes its way towards landfall in Galveston, Texas, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Motorists drive by Texas Department of Transportation signs on I-610 as Tropical Storm Edouard approaches in Houston, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP)

This satellite image provided by NOAA shows Tropical Storm Edouard over the Gulf of Mexico, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. (NOAA via AP)

This satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration taken shows Tropical Storm Edouard heading toward the Gulf Coast, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. (NOAA via AP)

This satellite image released by NOAA shows Tropical Storm Marie in the North Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, Sept.1, 2026 . (NOAA via AP)

This satellite image released by NOAA shows Hurricane Karina strengthening off the southern tip of Baja California on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. (NOAA via AP)

This satellite image released by NOAA shows Tropical Storm Lowell over the Pacific Ocean, Monday, Aug. 31, 2026. (NOAA via AP)

This satellite image released by NOAA shows Potential Tropical Cyclone Five forming over the Gulf of Mexico on Monday, Aug. 31, 2026. (NOAA via AP)