U.S. Senator Ed Markey commandingly won the endorsement of the Massachusetts Party at its nominating convention in Worcester Saturday, receiving 73 percent of the vote from the party’s 4000-plus delegates compared to 27 percent for his challenger, U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton.
Despite Markey’s wide margin of victory, Moulton cast the outcome as a de facto win after the convention wrapped up.
“This was amazing,” Moulton said as he celebrated with supporters. “You know, so many people said that we wouldn’t even [get the 15 percent required to] make it on the ballot, because we’re challenging the establishment. And the Democratic establishment in Massachusetts is very powerful.
”But people want change. And to get almost twice as much as we needed to get on the ballot is a massive win for this campaign.”
Markey did not address the media after the results were announced.
In their speeches before the delegates voted, both Moulton and Markey focused most of the energies on scathing denunciations of the Trump Administration, which each cast as an existential threat to American democracy. But the two men also took time to differentiate themselves from each other, briefly but sharply.
At one point, Moulton, who spoke first, invoked his core criticism of Markey — namely, that since Markey will be 86 at the end of his next term if re-elected, he’s simply too old to serve another six years in the Senate.
“Donald Trump has done more damage to our country than any enemy, foreign or domestic, since the Civil War,” Moulton said. “To win this fight I am bringing a new generation of leadership and a new playbook to the Democratic Party. We cannot afford to wait 6 more years for change.”
A few moments later, Moulton drew loud applause when he promised not to vote for New York Senator Chuck Schumer for Democratic leadership, a vow he’s repeatedly pressed Markey to take as well.
Markey — whose pre-speech video featured praise from Senator Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Ayanna Pressley — was even more aggressive when he called out Moulton at the end of his speech.
“Massachusetts deserves better than a senator who scapegoats trans kids,” Markey said to thunderous applause, referring to Moulton’s post-presidential election comments suggesting Democrats have been too doctrinaire when it comes to supporting trans girls’ right to play girls’ sports. “Massachusetts deserves better than a senator who cashes in and who trades stocks in companies with businesses before the very congressional committees he serves on. Massachusetts deserves better than a senator who says universal healthcare is too much to ask for and that taxing billionaires is class warfare against the rich.”
In his comments afterward, Moulton called Markey’s attacks “abject lies,” and called on Markey to debate him more than once before the September 1 primary. The last time he faced a primary opponent, former U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III, Markey agreed to six debates, Moulton said.
Markey and Moulton spoke after several other notable politicians took the dais, including including Senator Elizabeth Warren, state Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, Bill Galvin, secretary of the Commonwealth, and State Auditor Diana DiZoglio, most of whom face uncontested primary races this fall.
All focused their remarks on condemning the Trump Administration save one: DiZoglio, who took the stage singing “Where Is My Audit,” her now-familiar reworking of Raye’s “Where is My Husband,” and hammered leadership in the Democrat-dominated State House for its unwillingness to fully cooperate with a 2024 voter-approved law that gave DiZoglio the authority to audit the Legislature.
“Beacon Hill is sick,” DiZoglio said. “Beacon Hill is sick with the disease of addiction to power and control that is resulting in the decay of democracy. And people are fed up and tired of being told to be quiet.
“Public office is not a crown, it’s not a shield, it’s not a throne, Mr. Speaker,” DiZoglio added, referring to Democratic House Speaker Ron Mariano. “It’s the seat of service beside and not above the people.”
The crowd responded enthusiastically to DiZoglio’s call for the completion of her legislative audit, but not quite with the zest that her ongoing audit fight generated at last month’s Republican state convention, where DiZoglio starred in absentia.
In a voice vote on endorsing DiZoglio as the Democrats’ choice for speaker, a smattering of “no” votes was overwhelmed by a much greater number of “yes” votes.
Prior to Markey and Moulton’s speeches, delegates supporting the two candidates made their respective cases to GBH News.
“My favorite thing about [Moulton], besides his stance on all the issues, is that he is super responsive to his constituents,” said Meredith Spencer of Wakefield. “Any time I’ve emailed, called, sent a message through their website, I always get a response, and it’s definitely more than just a blanket reply that everybody gets. I love a representative like that, and I’m ready to see what else he can do.
“It’s not necessarily a repudiation of Markey,” Spencer added. “I like Markey and I’ve voted for Markey as well. But I do think it’s time for us to have elective leaders who are younger and are more in touch. And that’s not to say that someone in their 80s is not capable of contributing. It’s just that I think we need change, and I think Seth is the right person to make that change.”
“54 years serving the public, 50 years at the federal level,” Jonathan Berg of Melrose said of Markey. “He’s been a leader, whether it be in the environment, the nuclear freeze movement, today the movement for…social justice for all. Despite his age, and him being 86 when his next term will be up, I support him, and I think he’s going to be the right choice for these next 6 years.”
On Friday evening, the convention endorsed Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll for reelection. Neither is facing a primary opponent.
