Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) threw her support behind Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) ahead of the Sept. 1 primary, backing the 80-year-old incumbent as he faces a challenge from Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA).
Markey, who has served in Congress since the Gerald Ford administration, is seeking another term in the Senate. Ocasio-Cortez’s endorsement could provide a boost to the longtime senator as he fends off Moulton, 47, who has campaigned on generational change and presented himself as a more centrist alternative.
“At a time when powerful special interests are making life harder for everyday Americans, Massachusetts working families need a champion in the U.S. Senate to stand up for them and fight corporate greed,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “Ed Markey has spent his career doing exactly that, from our partnership on the Green New Deal to running his campaign without accepting a dime of corporate PAC money.”
Markey and Ocasio-Cortez first introduced the Green New Deal in 2019, proposing a sweeping national effort to address climate change.
Markey thanked Ocasio-Cortez for her endorsement, saying, “She’s got vision, she knows what’s at stake, and she never backs down.”
 and Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA). (Getty Images)</p>
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Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA). (Getty Images)The race has been shaped by a contentious debate over transgender athletes. Moulton drew national attention following the 2024 election, when he said he was concerned about his daughters “getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete,” adding that he felt Democrats were afraid to discuss the issue.
Moulton has secured endorsements from several prominent Democrats, including New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) and Reps. Derek Tran (D-CA), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Seth Magaziner (D-RI), and Pat Ryan (D-NY).
GENERATIONAL FIGHT IN BUDDING MASSACHUSETTS DEMOCRATIC SENATE PRIMARY
The candidates will face off in their final debate Thursday evening, just days before the Sept. 1 primary.
August polling showed Markey with a 28-point lead over Moulton. Other polls conducted in recent months have shown Moulton trailing by between 5 and 17 points.
