U.S. Sen. Ed Markey is 80 and has served in Congress for half a century. His Democratic primary challenger in Massachusetts, U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, is 47 and made generational change a centerpiece of his campaign. Markey won the Sept. 1, 2026, primary anyway by nearly 30 percentage points.
He’s not the only octogenarian to prevail in a competitive primary in 2026. Eleven won their primaries and are on the ballot for the 2026 midterm elections. The oldest primary winner was Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho, an 83-year-old Republican.
