Why Did Ed Markey Beat Seth Moulton So Badly?
To the Editor,
Seth Moulton, as a six-term Congressman with three Harvard degrees, and as a former Marine who served four tours of duty in Iraq, on paper should have been a strong challenger to incumbent Senator Ed Markey.
However, in the Democratic Primary earlier this month, Markey trounced Moulton by a 65% to 35% margin.
Why was this election not even close?
I think the answer comes down to the two men themselves and the campaigns that they ran.
Ed Markey is who he says he is – a leading progressive in Washington – and he had the support of well-known progressive figures Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, and Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley. He also had the support of influential labor unions such as the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, the Massachusetts Teachers Association and the Massachusetts Nurses Association.
Markey also is well-liked and had the support of six of Congressman Moulton’s colleagues from Massachusetts – Representatives Katherine Clark, Jim McGovern, Lori Trahan, Richie Neal, Bill Keating and Ayanna Pressley. In addition, he was endorsed by twenty-four State Senators, one hundred eleven State Representatives, and nineteen mayors including Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.
What about Seth Moulton?
After beating an incumbent Congressman in the Democratic Primary in 2014 as a more moderate outsider, Moulton next challenged the speakership of Nancy Pelosi in 2018 without offering a credible alternative. In 2019, he announced a candidacy for President which only lasted four months because he failed to gain any significant support.
In his race against Ed Markey this year, Moulton stated that the major issue was that the incumbent was too old and that he was just as progressive as the Senator. However, this was not believable and in sharp contrast to his more moderate record.
Moulton also had the reputation of being a loner and failed to gain any significant support from elected officials and organizations that participate in Democratic party politics.
Finally, Moulton in desperation took a cheap shot at Markey trying to link him to Jeffrey Epstein based on flimsy, inclusive details and innuendo.
This was a sad ending to an individual who had the potential to be a bright leader in the House of Representatives but instead ran a futile campaign for the Senate.
Bill Schmidt
Please support Classical music
To the Editor,
I am grateful to The Winthrop Foundation and Council President Jim Letterie for joining me in sponsoring the North Shore Philharmonic Orchestra at St. Michael the Archangel Church in Winthrop this Saturday night, September 19. The event will be a night of classical music in a perfect setting with a famed 13 year old cello soloist, Sofia Hernandez-Williams performing under the direction of Music Director Robert Lehmann. The event is free to all but those attending are encouraged to bring donations of canned goods for the Winthrop Food Pantry,
State Representative Jeffrey Rosario Turco