Moulton v. Markey

Rep. Seth Moulton is officially all-in against U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, setting up an expensive 2026 Democratic primary showdown and setting off a scramble for his northeastern-based Congressional seat.

The Salem Democrat and former Marine on Wednesday released a launch video and unveiled the campaign team he hopes will help him knock out the longtime incumbent next year.

“We’re in a crisis, and with everything we learned last election, I just don’t believe Senator Markey should be running for another six-year term at 80 years old,” Moulton said in his video, an apparent reference meant to tie President Biden’s struggles on the 2024 campaign trail to Markey’s age.

“Even more, I don’t think someone who’s been in Congress for half a century is the right person to meet this moment and win the future,” added Moulton, who turns 47 later this month.

Political consultant Doug Rubin, who has worked for Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Gov. Deval Patrick, has signed on as the campaign’s senior adviser. D.C.-based Cayce McCabe, who works for the firm Adwell, is handling the campaign ads. Rubin and McCabe last worked together on Kim Janey’s 2021 campaign for Boston mayor.

McCabe also previously worked with Taylor Hebble, Moulton’s campaign communications director, on a Marine veteran’s run for a Congressional seat in California’s Silicon Valley.

Moulton burst into Massachusetts politics more than 11 years ago, defeating longtime incumbent John Tierney. His Senate campaign is hoping for a repeat, with its press release noting that Moulton “won against an entrenched, establishment-supported 9-term incumbent despite being down 53 points in his first poll.”

In his bid for another term, Markey has continued to rack up endorsements from a range of Beacon Hill leaders, unions and Democratic interest groups. The day before Moulton’s announcement, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Action Fund, a federal political action committee, said they were backing Markey.

Markey, who previously fended off a 2020 challenge from then-Rep. Joe Kennedy III, has hired Cam Charbonnier, who worked on Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign and a longtime Marty Walsh aide, as his campaign manager.

Moulton’s Senate run means his Congressional seat opens up in 2026. Dan Koh, who ran for the Congressional seat won by Lori Trahan in 2018, is certain to jump in. Andover is now in Moulton’s district, which also includes Lynn, Beverly and Salem.

Other candidates who may join the Congressional race include Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson, state Rep. Tram Nguyen, Sen. Brendan Crighton, former John Tierney aide Drew Russo, and Moulton chief of staff Rick Jakious. Any state lawmakers in the hunt would be giving up their House or Senate seats, since 2026 is election year for Beacon Hill, too.

Thanks to my colleagues for filling in for me while I celebrated a 10-year wedding anniversary in New York, where we ran into Rupert Murdoch and Lorne Michaels, and later scored a table at Gramercy Tavern. Back to Massachusetts: What’s your prediction for how this U.S. Senate race will go? Send it along to: gin@massterlist.com.

HAPPENING TODAY

9:00 | Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education and Boston Foundation host a forum on redesigning the high school experience to better prepare students for college and careers. Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez will talk about expanding career-connected learning, while Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper will discuss priorities and challenges in Boston. | Edgerley Center for Civic Leadership, 75 Arlington St., Boston | Register

12:00 | The MassDOT Board of Directors holds in-person public meeting. | 10 Park Plaza, MassDOT Board Room, Boston | Agenda and Access Info

12:00 | Gov. Maura Healey attends the 42nd annual Trooper Hanna Memorial Awards for Bravery. Interim Public Safety and Security Secretary Susan Terrey, Law Enforcement Undersecretary Gina Kwon, Trooper Hanna’s family members also attend. | Mechanics Hall, 321 Main Street, Worcester

12:00 | Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll attends the 2025 Western Mass Developers Conference. | MGM Springfield, Aria Ballroom, Springfield

12:30 | Legislative reformers hold a “We the People” rally. Participants support the effort to audit the Legislature pursuant to a new ballot law, and 2026 initiative petition drives to regulate legislative stipends and force greater access to public records. Auditor Diana DiZoglio, who led the ballot campaign to audit the Legislature that legislative leaders have since resisted, is among the speakers. | State House steps, Boston

FROM BEACON HILL

ENERGY BILLS: Gov. Maura Healey directed state regulators of utilities to look through gas and electric bills, line by line, and move to reduce or eliminate anything that doesn’t provide a benefit to ratepayers ahead of the winter season. – State House News Service

SHERIFF SPENDING: The spending bill House Democrats are advancing this week is a grab bag, with the biggest proposed expenditure totaling $2 billion for MassHealth, the state’s Medicaid program. The bill also sets aside $10 million for the cost of hosting the 2026 World Cup. But the buzziest number coming out of the legislation was what House Democrats didn’t fund: a majority of $162 million, withheld from the 14 county sheriffs, due to “questionable spending practices.” – Boston Globe

SHELTER SYSTEM: Beacon Hill’s Senate Republicans filed a proposal that limits how contracts are used in the state’s emergency assistance shelter system. – Boston Herald

NEWS NEXT DOOR

WORLD CUP THREAT: In a rambling response to a reporter’s question about “street takeovers” in Boston, President Trump said he would consider pulling World Cup games away from the city. The president does not have the legal authority to do so, and the World Cup matches are taking place at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, which is 22 miles away from Boston. – NBC10

QUINCY STATUES: A judge in Norfolk Superior Court ruled in favor of the ACLU of Massachusetts, approving a preliminary injunction that prevents the city of Quincy from installing two statues on the new public safety headquarters while the case keeps playing out in court. – Patriot Ledger

WIND LOSSES: Eversource is still seeing losses from an agreement with former partner Orsted, the Danish energy giant with offshore wind projects off the U.S. coast. – Boston Business Journal

UNFROZEN FUNDING: Harvard University, after taking the Trump administration to court, has seen a restoration of the majority of previously frozen funding. – Harvard Crimson

NURSING HOME: State health officials should fine a New Bedford nursing home after it received more citations for violations last year than any other in Massachusetts, Sen. Mark Montigny said. – New Bedford Light