Moulton, 47, is framing his bid against Markey, 79, as a moment of generational change.
While the congressman praises the senator’s 50-plus years of public service, he says Massachusetts can’t wait six more years to fill what he describes as a massive leadership vacuum in the Democratic Party.
“[Markey] was elected before I was even born, and he's not the right senator to meet this moment," Moulton told WAMC. "The establishment in Washington, the Democratic establishment, has gotten us a second term of Donald Trump and this complete insanity that's unfolding across the globe. Because the Democratic establishment has not been effective in holding Trump accountable, the Democratic establishment has not been effective at simply winning elections against the convicted felon. The Democratic establishment has gotten us into a position where the Democratic Party has the lowest approval ratings in American history.”
Moulton, an Iraq War veteran and Harvard graduate, has been in congress since 2015. He says the Democratic Party has lost ground with American voters by shying away from difficult conversations.
“We've had a huge problem with immigration over the last several years in America, and Democrats kept telling people that it would just go away, that it wasn't an issue, that it was just Republicans weaponizing what was going on at this southern border, and we needed to be honest that we actually had a problem," the congressman said. "We have a huge problem in America with the cost of living, and yet the Biden administration said that it wasn't a big deal, that inflation would be transitory, that it would that would go away. I have a very aggressive affordability agenda.”
Moulton is also working to differentiate himself from longstanding Democratic party lines on divisive issues like support for Israel. In October 2025, two years after the start of Israel’s bloody military campaign in Gaza after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, the congressman promised to return all donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and said he would no longer accept money from the lobbying group.
“Israel is our most important democratic ally in the Middle East, but the Netanyahu government has been doing things that are not in our interests, not in America's interest, and not, frankly, in Israel's long term national security interest, which is why there are constant protests in the streets in Israel against the Netanyahu government," said Moulton. "It's why so many people in the military and intelligence communities in Israel are against the Netanyahu government, and it's why people just do not accept the fact that his horrific actions in Gaza are completely unacceptable, unacceptable to Israelis and to and to the United States. We should be able to be honest about that and not also cast-off Israel and say we're never going to support you.”
After President Trump’s second victory in 2024, Moulton faced criticism after telling 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, but as a Democrat [he was] supposed to be afraid to say that.” Moulton has since reaffirmed his support for the trans community and condemned the Trump administration’s attacks on the minority group, but maintained to WAMC that he stood behind the remarks.
“I stand in exactly the same place, because we need to have these tough conversations," said the congressman. "Look, I have 100% voting record on trans rights. I've always supported trans people. In fact, I've been a fierce advocate for them serving in the military in my position on the Armed Services Committee. But we're not representing their interests if we wrap ourselves in the trans flag and do nothing to actually debate their issues, because then exactly what I predicted is going to happen, which is the Republicans are going to be the only ones controlling this debate. The Republicans are going to be the only ones proposing ideas, proposing legislation, because we're afraid to touch it with a 10-foot pole, and as a result, they put forward hateful policies that are attacking the very people that we claim to represent and to protect.”
Markey successfully fended off his last major primary opponent Joe Kennedy III in 2020, who similarly campaigned against the senator on generational terms. Moulton says the political landscape is different six years later, and that his track record speaks for itself.
“I have a history of being willing to challenge the Democratic establishment when I don't think it's getting the job done," he told WAMC. "And that's not just the first time I ran for congress against a nine-term incumbent who'd only passed one bill in 18 years. It's also when I set up Serve America in 2018 outside the Democratic establishment to help win seats all across America, and about half the seats that we won in 2018 to take back the House to ensure that we finally could put a check on the first Trump administration were my Serve America candidates. So, it had a completely outsized impact on the midterm elections in 2018, much more so than any other member of Congress in the House or the Senate.”
Markey’s campaign did not respond to request for comment on this story.
The third candidate in the race is political newcomer Alex Rikleen. The former history teacher describes himself as a progressive, and says he’s running because the Democratic Party has done too little to resist the Trump administration since the Republican’s return to office.
The primary is set for Sept. 1.
