A recent UMass
Amherst/WCVB-TV survey indicates that Moulton, 47, still has some work to do to
persuade Bay State voters to reject the seasoned 79-year-old politician from
Malden.
According to a poll of
probable Democratic primary voters released Monday, Markey leads Moulton, of
Salem, 51%–28%. 14% of respondents stated they were unsure or had no plans to
vote, while 6% support Alex Rikleen, a political novice running for office for
the first time.
Between October 21 and
October 29, 800 Massachusetts people participated in the survey, 416 of whom
were probably Democratic primary voters. The margin of error for the section
was 6.1%.
Still, the addition of U.S.
Representative Ayanna Pressley, a Democrat from the 7th District, narrows
Markey’s lead in the current check. The Boston legislator has not officially
blazoned plans for the 2026 crusade, despite being constantly named as a
possible contender.
In a head-to-head match,
Markey would lead by 35, while Moulton would lead by 25 and Pressley by
21.
Despite voters’ worries
regarding Markey’s age, over half( 54) of those surveyed said they were
satisfied with his performance on the job.
Despite voters’ worries
regarding Markey’s age, over half (54%) of those surveyed said they were
satisfied with his performance on the job.
Markey, who has served in
Congress since the Carter administration, “also enjoys a significant name
recognition advantage that his current challengers lack,” according to the
poll.
With that decades-long
tenure,
“it comes as no surprise that more than three-quarters of Democratic
likely voters express some familiarity with the candidates vying to become the
Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate,”
UMass pollster Tatishe Nteta said.
“While voters most often
describe Markey as ‘good,’ ‘experienced,’ ‘liberal’ and ‘progressive,’ the most
frequently mentioned word is ‘old,’ reflecting concerns about Markey’s age and
the fact Markey, if reelected, would be 80 years old when taking the oath of
office,”
he continued.
“With Markey’s age at the
heart of both the Moulton and Rikleen campaigns, Markey will need to address
the elephant in the room, and convince voters that, in his case, age is but a
number,”
Nteta said.
Rikleen made no mention of
Markey’s age in an interview with MassLive in September. He maintained the
emphasis on the need for the Democratic Party to rebrand and to mount a
stronger defense against what many analysts see as the country’s descent into
authoritarianism.
The new poll, according to
UMass pollster Jesse Rhodes, reveals that voters are more concerned with other
issues affecting the country and the commonwealth than they are with the issue
of age, and that voters’ perceptions of the midterm election are unaffected by
the nation’s dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party.
“Although there has been a
lot of criticism of the Democratic Party’s leadership in the age of Trump,
attitudes toward political leaders whether positive or negative do not seem
to be playing a big role in shaping Massachusetts voters’ priorities,”
Rhodes said.
“Only 3% of those surveyed
said that ‘experience’ was a top consideration in determining their vote in the
Democratic primary elections, and 0% said that ‘represent[ing] a new generation
of leadership’ mattered,”
Rhodes continued.
How have Massachusetts Democratic voters reacted to Moulton’s age
argument?
Massachusetts Democratic
choosers’ responses to Seth Moulton’s argument that Ed Markey is too old to
continue serving have been mixed but generally favor Markey at this stage. Pates
show Markey holding a firm lead over Moulton, with numerous choosers describing
Markey as” educated,” “liberal,” and
“progressive,” but also generally noting his age as a concern.
Some voters reverberate
with Moulton’s call for generational change and a youngish leader to face
unborn challenges. Still, others prioritize Markey’s long record of progressive
leadership and effectiveness over his age.
Political judges note this
race glasses Markey’s former contest against Joe Kennedy III, where Markey
successfully framed the narrative despite generational contrasts. Overall, age
is a focal point in crusade debates and a growing content within the Democratic
Party.
