Welcome to a special edition of At the Races! Throughout the 2026 primary season, watch for these updates from the CQ Roll Call campaign team on what you need to know for Election Day. Know someone who’d like to get this newsletter? They can subscribe here. By Daniela Altimari and Mary Ellen McIntire Blue-state voters’ appetite for political change will be tested Tuesday in Massachusetts, with generational and ideological divides on display in several Democratic primaries. The marquee contest is the Senate race, where 80-year-old incumbent Edward J. Markey is facing a challenge from 47-year-old Rep. Seth Moulton. Markey is a reliable progressive and has the backing of most members of the Massachusetts delegation, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Ayanna S. Pressley. Moulton’s pitch has focused almost exclusively on Markey’s age, not his policies. "It's time for a new generation of leadership to take on a new generation of challenges and opportunities,’’ he said at a recent campaign stop in Springfield, Mass. Markey, who won 19 terms in the House before coming to the Senate in 2013, has focused on his liberal voting record and the advantages his seniority confers on the state. He has also criticized Moulton's past comments regarding transgender athletes. (Following the 2024 election, Moulton told The New York Times that he didn’t want his daughters “getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete,” remarks he has since apologized for.) Polls show Moulton’s argument has not caught fire with Massachusetts voters: Every public survey conducted since June has shown Markey with a commanding lead. House races Markey isn’t the only Massachusetts Democrat confronting a younger challenger. In the 8th District, which includes South Boston, Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, 71, is trying to fend off Patrick Roath, a 39-year-old lawyer and voting rights activist from Jamaica Plain. Roath, who has the backing of Leaders We Deserve, a political group founded by Gen Z activist David Hogg, has pledged to bring a sharper focus to fighting President Donald Trump’s agenda. He says Lynch’s at-times moderate voting record – including his vote for the Trump-backed immigration measure known as the Laken Riley Act – is out of step with the politics of the district. Lynch, who was first elected to the House in 2001, has highlighted his seniority and his working-class background. In the 1st District in Western Massachusetts, Rep. Richard E. Neal, 77, is battling 39-year-old teacher Jeromie Whalen. Neal, who is seeking his 20th term, is the ranking member of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, and he has emphasized the millions of dollars he’s brought back to the district. Neal has significantly outraised Whalen, who is conducting a grassroots campaign from his canary-yellow Toyota cargo van. Other Democratic incumbents facing primary challengers Tuesday include House Minority Whip Katherine M. Clark, Rep. William Keating and Rep. Jake Auchincloss, though all are expected to prevail. In the open 6th District, north of Boston, a crowd of Democrats are competing to succeed Moulton. Dan Koh, who was a senior adviser to former President Joe Biden and aide to former Labor Secretary and Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, has been the fundraising leader, winning the support of Biden, former Vice President Kamala Harris and John F. Tierney, who hold the seat before Moulton. Others in the race include state Rep. Tram Nguyen, fintech executive John Beccia, former state Rep. Jamie Belsito and software engineer Bethany Andres-Beck. A sixth candidate, former State Department employee and veterinarian Mariah Lancaster, dropped out of the race over the weekend and endorsed Nguyen. Nguyen also picked up the support of Pressley and Rep. Lori Trahan of the nearby 3rd District. Photo finish Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton greets players at a Latinos Unidos softball game in Lawrence, Mass., on Aug. 16. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call) Subscribe now using this link so you don’t miss out on the best news and analysis from our team.
