Massachusetts Primary Results: Markey Wins Senate, Minogue Tops GOP Governor Race

Massachusetts voters chose their nominees for November’s general election on Tuesday, September 1. In the marquee race, incumbent Senator Ed Markey, 80, defeated U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, 47, in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, defying calls for generational change. In the governor’s race, wealthy Republican Mike Minogue won the GOP nomination and will face Democratic incumbent Maura Healey, who ran unopposed. Markey will face Republican John Deaton in November.

Markey’s Progressive Victory Over Moulton

Sen. Ed Markey won the Democratic Senate primary with roughly 69% of the vote, according to NBC News projections. Moulton, who entered Congress in 2014 and had argued that Markey was too old to serve another six-year term, conceded and pledged support for the general election. Markey, first elected to the Senate in 2013 after 37 years in the House, ran as the champion of progressive causes including the Green New Deal and Medicare for All. He was endorsed by Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, plus Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Spending Gap Did Not Stop Markey

Moulton and his allies spent $7.1 million on television ads compared to Markey and his allies’ $3.9 million, according to AdImpact. Despite being outspent nearly two-to-one, Markey prevailed, marking another win for a progressive Democrat facing well-funded attacks in 2026. In his victory speech, Markey called the result a testament to the power of the progressive movement.

Minogue Wins GOP Governor Primary, Faces Healey in November

Mike Minogue, a wealthy former medical device company executive, won the Republican primary for governor with 76% of the vote as of 10:16 p.m., defeating Brian Shortsleeve, a military veteran and former Baker administration official. Minogue, who secured 70% support at the MassGOP convention in April, refused to debate Shortsleeve and poured millions of his own dollars into the campaign. He will face incumbent Gov. Maura Healey in November, though polls show Healey with a significant advantage.

Other Races Decided Across the State

In the Democratic primary for Seth Moulton’s 6th Congressional District seat, Dan Koh won among six candidates. Incumbents Stephen Lynch and Richard Neal won tight primary races in their districts. In the race for Norfolk County district attorney, Djuna Perkins defeated Adam Deitch in a close contest. In Suffolk County, incumbent Kevin Hayden easily defeated former district attorney Rachael Rollins. Democratic Gov. Maura Healey ran unopposed in her primary.

Final Thoughts

Markey’s win signals that progressive voters in Massachusetts rejected calls for generational change, even as other older Democrats have lost primaries nationwide this year. The November matchups pit Markey against Republican John Deaton for Senate and Healey against Minogue for governor, with both Democratic incumbents favored to win.

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