Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has endorsed incumbent Senator Ed Markey in the Massachusetts Democratic Senate primary, delivering a significant late-campaign lift to the veteran lawmaker.
The endorsement from Ocasio-Cortez, one of the most prominent progressive voices in the country, adds considerable momentum to Markey’s bid as the primary race against Representative Seth Moulton enters its final stretch.
Markey and Ocasio-Cortez previously joined forces on the Green New Deal, cementing a political alliance that has made them closely associated figures within the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.
The endorsement is expected to energize younger and left-leaning voters in Massachusetts, a demographic that Markey has consistently courted throughout his Senate tenure.
Moulton, a moderate Democrat and military veteran, has positioned himself as a centrist alternative to Markey, arguing the longtime incumbent no longer best represents the state’s evolving political needs.
Markey, who has served in Congress for decades, first in the House and later in the Senate, has leaned into his progressive record to distinguish himself from his challenger.
The Massachusetts Senate primary has drawn national attention, with outside groups and prominent political figures weighing in on both sides of the contest.
Ocasio-Cortez’s backing gives Markey a high-profile surrogate capable of drawing crowds and generating media coverage in the critical days leading up to the vote.
Progressive endorsements have carried substantial weight in recent Democratic primaries, and Markey’s campaign is likely to use the Ocasio-Cortez alliance prominently in its closing argument to voters.
The race between Markey and Moulton reflects a broader tension within the Democratic Party between its progressive and moderate factions, a divide that continues to shape electoral contests across the country.
With the primary now entering its decisive phase, both candidates are making final pushes to consolidate support among Massachusetts Democratic voters who will ultimately determine the outcome.
