BOSTON (WHDH) - An exclusive poll conducted by 7NEWS with the University of New Hampshire shows the Democratic primary race for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts has taken a decided turn heading into the home stretch as voters get ready to head to the polls next week.
Two months ago, the 7NEWS poll showed Congressman Seth Moulton mounting a real challenge for incumbent Senator Ed Markey.
Markey was the choice of 41 percent of Democrats polled in June. Moulton was not far behind and was favored by 35 percent. However, the most recent poll shows the 80-year-old senator is now the choice of 63 percent of Massachusetts Democrats – 35-point lead over Moulton, who has dropped to 28 percent.
“I think what you’re seeing in Massachusetts, as well as other places across the country, is that the Democratic party has a significant fissure between the liberal wing of the party and younger people, who want to have change within the elected representatives,” said Andy Smith, Director of the University of New Hampshire Survey Center.
As for the most important factor Markey and Moulton voters gave for choosing their candidates, 58 percent of voters supporting Moulton said age was their top reason. Eighteen percent said it was because he represents change.
For Markey, 27 percent of Democrats 7NEWS polled said his politics or ideology is the most important reason. Eighteen percent cited his politics.
“Seth Moulton is younger, but he’s not seen as more progressive than Markey,” Smith said. “And I think what Moulton has had to do is kind of tack to the left more than he had wanted to, and this has hurt him.”
As for Markey’s age, which has been a question in the campaign, only 44 percent of all Bay State voters, regardless of party, said they believe Markey is definitely or probably mentally and physically capable of serving six more years. That number is up from 34 percent last Fall.
Fourty-two percent of the voters polled said Markey is definitely not, or probably not, capable of serving another six-year term if elected.
“It may be a sign of realism, but also a sign that, frankly, the Democrats right now aren’t thinking that far down the road, worrying about Ed Markey being in there as Ed Markey, but they’re worrying about having somebody in there who’s a progressive voice,” Smith said.
Smith said Moulton could close the gap by pulling in progressive voters and winning back more moderate voters who once said they would make him their choice.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)