'We're In A Crisis': U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton To Primary Challenge U.S. Sen. Ed Markey

SALEM, MA — U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Salem) called for a "new generation of leadership" within the Democratic party in officially announcing his primary challenge to sitting U.S. Sen. Ed Markey on Wednesday morning.

The 46-year-old Iraq War veteran called Markey "a good man" but declared, "I just don't believe he should be running for another six-year term at 80 years old" at a time when he said "we're in a crisis."

"I don't think that someone who has been in Congress for half a century is the right person to meet this moment and win the future," Moulton said.

Moulton slammed President Donald Trump's "harmful, racist agenda" in his announcement, but said Democrats have not done enough or been effective in stopping that agenda since he won a second term last year.

"Real people across Massachusetts are being hurt by Democratic leaders refusing to do everything they can to win," Moulton said. "We've got to look in the mirror and be honest.

"It's time for change."

Markey has been bracing for a challenge in recent months, while racking up and publicizing endorsements for his re-election. The former U.S. representative from Malden was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2013 and defeated former U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy in a primary challenge for re-election in 2019.

Moulton has represented the 5th Congressional District since 2015 and briefly explored a presidential bid during the 2020 election cycle. He has long urged for younger voices in Democratic leadership in Washington, embarking on a failed bid to oust former U.S. Speaker Nancy Pelosi from her perch atop the Congressional opposition to Trump in 2018.

He was also harshly critical of his own party following Trump's victory over Kamala Harris last November, saying Democrats were "out of touch with everyday Americans" on a range of issues because of their unwillingness to have conversations that may offend people.

Moulton drew the ire of some within his party when he used a personal view that he did not want his two daughters getting "run over" on an athletic field by a "male or formerly male athlete" to illustrate a bigger hurdle he said the Democratic party faces in relating to what he called "everyday Americans."

He said that "as a Democrat, I'm supposed to be afraid to say that."

Moulton has repeatedly defended the sentiments, saying: "Sadly, too many fellow Democrats feel like there isn't a place within our party for them to say certain things out loud even when it's a reasonable, majority opinion in our country."

"Unfortunately, the backlash has only served to reinforce my original point."

Moulton also said two weeks ago that he would defer his Congressional salary for the duration of the ongoing federal government shutdown.

"If we can't be counted on to keep the government open, then we shouldn't collect a paycheck while dedicated public servants suffer the consequences," he said.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)