Hundreds of Ed Markey supporters hoisted rainbow-colored campaign signs over their heads, cheering in support of the senator, as he walked on stage to give a victory speech after winning the primary election Tuesday night.
“Donald Trump and his enablers, if you’re listening, Massachusetts has something to say tonight: we will not sit by while you try to destroy this democracy; we will not sit by as you terrorize, detain, and deport our immigrant neighbors; we will not sit by as you reward the mega-wealthy while SNAP, and Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act get slapped; we will not sit by as you demonize our LGBT-plus and trans communities,” Markey, 80, told the crowd during his victory speech. “Trans rights are human rights.”
Lexington Town Meeting Member Kunal Botla worked for Markey’s campaign as a fellow on his field organizing team and stood on stage behind Markey as he gave his speech.
“In Massachusetts and across the nation, we need leaders, like Sen. Markey, who don’t back down,” Botla wrote to the Observer after Markey’s victory. “The message Massachusetts sent is clear: we want leaders who fight to solve the challenges of the Commonwealth and the nation, from healthcare and climate solutions to skyrocketing costs and forever-wars.”
Markey was introduced by State Sen. Lydia Edwards and Tyler Hack, executive director of Christopher Street Project, a nonprofit focused on advancing and protecting transgender rights. Edwards and Hack spoke about how Markey’s win is a victory for transgender people in the U.S.
“We don’t accept a younger politician with older politics,” Hack said, referencing Markey’s challenger, Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., 47, who said in 2024 that he would not want his daughters playing sports against transgender women. This year, he walked back that comment and apologized for hurting his constituents.
Several Markey supporters, who attended the election party on the 15th floor of the Omni Parker House in downtown Boston on Tuesday night, showed up for Markey at the polls because he outspokenly supports trans rights and environmental issues despite his age.
“I’m obviously going to vote for the progressive guy who supports trans rights,” Harmony Boyd, a 30-year-old Florida native who lives in Chelsea, said, calling Moulton a “reprehensible transphobe.” Boyd moved to Massachusetts because she felt her rights as a trans person were under attack in Florida.
Laurie Ball, 68, of Newton, who has a transgender adult child, also voted for Markey because of his allyship to the trans community. Ball’s husband, Raymond, who is a retired environmental engineer, voted for Markey because “he’s always been very much in support of [fighting] climate change.” Raymond supported Markey’s Green New Deal and said it was “unfortunate” that it did not pass.
Doug and Victoria Salvati, both 30, who live in Burlington, voted for Markey because “he seemed like the much more progressive candidate,” adding they appreciated Moulton’s argument about age but did not find that he “presented more than that.”
Polls closed at 8 p.m. and the Associated Press called the race for Markey shortly after, at 8:31 p.m., with only about 2 percent of votes counted.
Markey won with about 64 percent of votes to 35 percent for Moulton.
“I am proud of the race we ran, the culture our campaign built, and the conversations we started,” Moulton wrote in a statement after the race was called. “Challenging the establishment and calling for a new generation of leadership isn’t easy, but it is necessary. I will continue to push the Democratic Party – and our country – to look towards the future.”
Markey, who is heavily favored, will face Republican John Deaton in the general election.
In Lexington, Markey received 3,816 votes, or about 61 percent support, early results showed. Moulton got 2,397 votes, or about 39 percent.
Voter turnout in Lexington was up from the last state primary. This year, 6,972 voters, or about 30 percent of registered voters, cast ballots. In 2024, voter turnout totaled 22 percent in Lexington, and in 2022, turnout hit 29 percent.
In the House race for MA’s 5th district, incumbent and Democratic Whip Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., won with about 74 percent of votes. Clark faced two challengers from the left — Jonathan Paz, who secured about 20 percent of votes, and Tarik Samman, who got about 7 percent.
Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan staved off a challenge from former colleague David Solet; here in Lexington, Ryan received 4,254 votes to Solet’s 1,190.
Mike Minogue won the Republican slot in the race for governor with about 76 percent of the vote, beating out Brian Shortsleeve. In Lexington, Minogue secured 460 votes, or about 66 percent support, and Shortsleeve got about 31 percent support. Next, Minogue will face incumbent Gov. Maura Healey.
The general election is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 3.