Challengers bet big on generational change against Markey, Lynch
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Deehan here with Spill of the Hill, my column unraveling Massachusetts politics.
With the Sept. 1 primary only two weeks away, challengers Seth Moulton and Patrick Roath are making their final, urgent pitches.
- Their task: to convince Massachusetts voters that incumbents Ed Markey and Stephen Lynch are just too old to lead.
Why it matters: A defining throughline in both the U.S. Senate and 8th Congressional District Democratic primaries is an aggressive gamble on generational change.
- Challengers are portraying the long-serving incumbents as outdated relics holding back progressive reform.
Yes, but: The incumbents are refusing to cede that their age means anything except more experience.
State of play: The "too old" strategy is trying to shatter the assumption that incumbents win victories in Massachusetts.
- Moulton (47) is targeting Markey (80), explicitly citing the fallout over the 2024 presidential election. He's saying Markey's 50-year congressional playbook is an obsolete liability that no longer delivers for the state.
- Roath (39) is hammering Lynch (71), arguing the incumbent's 25-year tenure and moderate record, including voting against the Affordable Care Act, proves institutional knowledge won't fix modern problems.
Markey has been forcefully reframing his decades in Washington as an indispensable asset.
- "Experience is not the opposite of change," Markey fired back to Moulton's age-baiting at a recent debate.
Lynch, in his first head-to-head against Roath in Weymouth last week, told voters his ability to successfully represent the district comes directly from decades of experience.
Between the lines: Earlier polls showed Moulton squeezing Markey's lead to five points, but new numbers on the Senate primary race suggest Markey has a big lead over Moulton as undecided voters make their picks.
- There are fewer reliable polling numbers on the South Shore race, but a new survey from an outside group backing Roath says the race has rapidly closed to within seven points.
What they're saying: Both challengers used major debate stages to land direct generational blows.
- "The question before us is whether at 80 years old you should serve for another six years," Moulton pressed Markey. "There just comes a time to pass the torch to the next generation."
- Roath in Weymouth told voters they need a different kind of leadership. "Something that is bold, that is urgent, that is tailored to the problems of today," Roath said.
What's next: Both challengers have precisely two weeks to convince late deciders they need to pass the torch.
- Early voting begins this Saturday, Aug. 22.