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.