Ideological progressivism and incumbency proved to be more potent advantages than an argument for generational change in the Massachusetts Senate primary, where Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) easily dispatched a challenge from more-moderate Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA), who nonetheless swung leftward during the primary campaign. 

Markey, a lifelong politician first elected to Congress in 1976, locked down support from the state’s leading progressives, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) — and won backing from the stars of socialist wing of the party, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). 

That progressive show of support was more than enough to inoculate Markey over questions Moulton raised about the 80-year-old congressman’s age — the challenger’s most frequent line of attack that ended up falling flat. Markey won a sweeping victory, tallying nearly two-thirds (65%) of the Democratic vote and winning the vast majority of towns and cities in the state.

Moulton, despite holding a largely pro-Israel record during his time in Congress, made a show of attacking the pro-Israel advocacy group AIPAC in one of his Senate campaign’s first moves — a strategy that earned him enmity from some of his former moderate allies and bought him little goodwill from the progressive wing of the party. (Moulton also unsuccessfully sought AIPAC’s support before turning on the organization.)

The Democratic Party’s turn to the left was apparent in the state’s congressional primary results as well. All the Democratic incumbents prevailed, but two veteran politicians received scares from their left flank.

Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA), the ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, survived a challenge from progressive Jeromie Whalen, a high school teacher who made cutting aid to Israel a major plank in his campaign platform. But Neal’s margin — winning by only seven points — was remarkably narrow for a longtime incumbent and a sign of growing left-wing energy in the state.

Meanwhile, Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA), a pro-union moderate Democrat, defeated Patrick Roath, a voting rights advocate who ran on a progressive platform calling for generational change and embracing Medicare for All. With most precincts reporting, Lynch prevailed with 57% of the vote. 

Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), a moderate Democrat who has become more critical of Israel in recent months, comfortably prevailed against a long-shot challenger, winning 73% of the primary vote. 

And in the open seat to succeed Moulton, former Biden administration official Dan Koh comfortably outdistanced state Rep. Tram Nguyen, who was endorsed by the progressive Pressley.