Pols are already lining up to stand between Markey and a primary challenge. (created via Google image search)

Senator Elizabeth Warren kicked it off. In a video, she announced her support for the reelection of her Senate colleague, Ed Markey. Since then, a bevy of pols in Southeastern and Western Mass have come out for the incumbent. Such an early show of force—and the geography—is no accident. It clearly aims to hobble or outright dissuade a challenge like the one then-Rep Joe Kennedy III offered in 2020.

To be fair, Kennedy had not announced as of this date six years ago. Yet, many politicos saw that race coming from a mile away. Miscalculations on Kennedy’s part, some canny moves from Markey and a global pandemic conspired to renominate the incumbent. This time, Markey faces a different set of challenges, which backers seem to acknowledge, ahead of any substantive challenge.

Indeed, Warren’s word choice seemed to allude to how 2026 may differ from 2020.

“Ed has the fight, the experience, and the vision to meet the moment we are in,” Warren said of Markey in the video. “He’s my partner, my friend, and a real force in Washington.”

These words aim to reassure about Markey’s ability to do the job while highlighting the stark threat Donald Trump presents to the republic and Massachusetts in particular. If that argument is successful, it may override any concerns about Markey being 80 on Election Day next year.

Markey technically has an opponent in history teacher Alex Rikleen. Yet, most eyes are on Newton Representative—and Kennedy successor—Jake Auchincloss. The congressman, who turned 37 this past January, is officially seeking reelection. He has not exactly squelched rumors he covets a promotion.

The flood of ink spilling forth about the errors and omission of Joe Biden obscures the true ongoing fight in the Democratic Party. It is both less ideological and more generational than pundits prefer to think. In lieu of ideology, the debate turns on who shows fight and vigor opposing Donald Trump.

The danger is real. (created via wikipedia images and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette cartoon).

Few would argue Markey is sitting on his hands as Trump lays waste to the republic. The senator has also addressed vulnerabilities closer to home. He has cranked up his statewide visibility compared to six years ago. This failure had given Kennedy an opening, particularly in urban Western Massachusetts.

However, fate has set the board a bit differently this time around.

Prior to his last campaign, Markey, while no less a workhorse than Warren, had been less prominent than her. Her presidential bid, however doomed, only fed this. Kennedy’s pitch implicated generation and age, but he argued the commonwealth needed a more vigorous champion in the Senate.

Age and generation are considerably more overt now. They remain bound to the vigor argument, but for different reasons. Since the 119^th Congress gaveled into session in January, three House Democrats have died. It is difficult to show any fight from the grave.

Moreover, many younger Democrats are more impatient than ever. Some blame pols aging in place for the failures of the Biden era, among them Trump’s victory.

Markey has countered the age question before with: “It’s not your age, but the age of your ideas.” This will probably suffice. Still, it would be naïve to assume voters will still ignore youthful pitches. Plus, there’s no guarantee the youngs will rally to Markey the way they did last time.

Kennedy projected an eager noblesse oblige fitting for his pedigree. Nevertheless, eleven years removed from Edward Kennedy’s death, being of a storied dynasty was a doubled-edged sword. There was a deliberate attempt to paint Kennedy as somehow more conservative than Markey. This was largely absurd.

Auchincloss has a boy-next-door vibe. (Despite his name, he is related to Jacqueline Onassis’ stepfather, not the Kennedys.) He may face challenges Kennedy did not, however. Auchincloss has a legislative scorecard that Markey can more easily and credibly paint as being to his right.

This is a departure from other generational challenges in Democratic primaries. Boston lawyer and good government advocate Patrick Roath is challenging South Boston Congressman Stephen Lynch on both his record and his longevity. Like Auchincloss, Lynch has a more conservative record than Markey.

Vigor? Or merely youth? (via clerk.house.gov)

Nevertheless, the Markeryverse has left little to chance. After Warren’s nod and an endorsement from an electrical workers union, Markey’s next release focused on support from Auchincloss’s own district.

A similar flex from Western Massachusetts showed the distance Markey had traveled since 2020. Whether fairly or not, Kennedy made inroads, particularly in Hampden County, by promising the Massachusetts occident more attention. Such is catnip in the 413 and it worked for Kennedy in the cities.

This time, Markey can claim to have delivered on things like East-West rail. He has even earned support from those who backed Kennedy last time.

Among those who backed Kennedy last time but are lining up for Markey in 2026 are Springfield State Senator Adam Gomez and former State Senator Eric Lesser. Both are Millennials, which cuts against the generational issue, but reflects the shifts from 2020 that favor Markey.

Springfield Congressman Richard Neal did back Markey last time and his quote highlighted Markey’s work for the 413.

 “I’m proud to have worked with Ed to secure funding for West-East Rail, rural broadband, clean energy and other critical infrastructure investments that will support economic development for decades to come. We can always count on Ed to fight for us, and I’m proud to endorse him for re-election,” Neal said in Markey’s release.

It is true that Democratic primary voters are looking for their electeds to push back harder against Trump. That means both being willing to fight and being physically able to deliver it. There is not any reason to assume Markey is any less able to do this than Warren can. Yet, her exuberance has always matched her wonkery. Markey may be just as committed, but his inner policy nerd does not translate into happy warrior the way it does for Warren.

The sample size of Democratic primaries since the second Trump regime began is too small to draw too many lessons. Plus, it is not at all apparent youth would suffice for Auchincloss or a similar Dem to beat Markey, even before the ideological considerations.

Zohran Mamdani lit New York’s political world on fire with an energetic, be-everywhere campaign. But Representative Mikie Sherill ran away with Democrats’ gubernatorial nomination in New Jersey with something more traditional, if just as oppositional to Trump. There was no incumbent in either of these primaries, though.

It is possible to imagine somebody could both out-fight Markey while touting a record that primary voters would like. Right now, that person does not seem to be running. Perhaps Auchincloss has some tricks up his sleeve to outmaneuver Markey in a primary. Or, perhaps the 2026 Democratic primary for Senate in Massachusetts will be a sleepy affair.