Ed Markey

U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey (both D-MA) have announced they will vote against Question 8, the November ballot initiative seeking to repeal Massachusetts' regulated commercial marijuana sales and home cultivation while keeping possession and medical cannabis legal. Both senators cited strong public support and the risks of pushing consumers back to the unregulated market. Their opposition joins recent statements from Gov. Maura Healey and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, who also urged voters to reject the measure.

Multiple recent polls show the repeal effort trailing significantly, with opposition ranging from 55 to 71 percent. The state's Cannabis Control Commission reports adult-use sales have topped $10 billion since 2018, and industry advocates warn repeal could cost thousands of jobs and significant tax revenue. The measure, largely backed by Smart Approaches to Marijuana's SAM Action, has also faced legal challenges over signature-gathering tactics and ballot language, though courts and election officials have allowed it to proceed to voters.

The trial of Lindsay Clancy, a Massachusetts mother accused of strangling her three children — Cora, Dawson, and Callan — has drawn national attention to the state's distinctive insanity defense standard. Unlike most jurisdictions, Massachusetts places the burden of proof on prosecutors, who must show beyond a reasonable doubt that a defendant both understood right from wrong and could control her actions. Clancy's defense has centered on claims of postpartum psychosis and inadequate mental health treatment leading up to the killings.

The case has become a flashpoint in broader debates over abortion policy, mental health law, and criminal accountability in Massachusetts, following Governor Maura Healey's signing of legislation expanding abortion access. Commentators have drawn comparisons to a similar case in Illinois, where a woman allegedly killed her two-year-old child using the same method, but under a less demanding legal standard for proving insanity. The outcome of the Clancy trial is expected to test how the commonwealth's unusual evidentiary threshold functions in a high-profile child homicide case, with implications for future legal proceedings involving mental illness defenses.

Sen. Ed Markey, 80, has defeated Rep. Seth Moulton, 47, in Massachusetts' Democratic Senate primary, turning back a generational-change challenge to secure his party's nomination for a third full term. Moulton, a Marine veteran and moderate, argued Markey's decades in Washington hadn't delivered results, while Markey rallied progressives by citing his 2022 climate legislation and backing from Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Moulton also faced criticism over 2024 remarks on transgender athletes, which he apologized for; in his concession speech he pledged to support Markey and said his campaign had started necessary conversations. Markey, who beat Joe Kennedy III in 2020, now advances as the favorite against Republican John Deaton, who was unopposed in his primary and previously lost to Warren by about 20 points, and Markey says he won't seek a fourth term if reelected.

Similar generational contests played out down-ballot: Rep. Stephen Lynch, 71, defeated attorney Patrick Roath, 39, in the 8th District, and Rep. Richard Neal, 77, defeated progressive teacher Jeromie Whalen, 39, in the 1st District, with older incumbents prevailing in both races. A crowded six-way race also continues to replace Moulton in the 6th District, led by Dan Koh and state Rep. Tram Nguyen. Because Massachusetts leans heavily Democratic, these primaries effectively decide the general election winners in November.

Massachusetts voters headed to the polls Tuesday for state primary elections, with polling locations open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Statewide officeholders including Gov. Maura Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and Attorney General Andrea Campbell face no primary opposition ahead of their fall reelection bids, but Republicans chose between Mike Minogue and Brian Shortsleeve in a contested gubernatorial primary.

The marquee race is Rep. Seth Moulton's challenge to longtime Sen. Ed Markey, with Markey's age, 80, a central theme of the campaign. Two other Democratic incumbents, Reps. Jake Auchincloss and Bill Keating, faced primary challengers Jason Poulos and Craig Swallow, respectively, in districts covering parts of Bristol County and Southeastern Massachusetts. Several state legislative seats in Bristol County also drew contested primaries. Results were expected after polls closed Tuesday evening.

Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey, 80, won the Democratic primary Tuesday over U.S. Representative Seth Moulton, 47, who had campaigned on generational change. Markey, in Congress for nearly 50 years, drew support from progressive leaders including Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Elizabeth Warren, along with most of the state's congressional delegation. Moulton, a moderate Marine Corps veteran, was backed by New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill, VoteVets, and The Boston Globe's editorial board, which praised his "proven leadership." Markey held a fundraising edge of nearly $2 million and led by double digits in polling. He is heavily favored in November in a state Kamala Harris won by nearly 25 points in 2024.

A similar generational contest is unfolding in Boston's 8th District, where moderate Representative Stephen Lynch, 71, faces progressive challenger Patrick Roath, 39, who has outraised Lynch and narrowed his polling lead. Democrats hold all Massachusetts House and Senate seats, and this year's primary winners will be strongly favored in the general election.

Massachusetts voters headed to the polls Tuesday in a primary highlighted by a competitive Democratic Senate contest between incumbent Sen. Ed Markey, 80, and U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, 47. The race reverses a familiar dynamic in this year's Democratic primaries, with progressives Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez backing the incumbent over the more moderate challenger. Markey held a large fundraising advantage and led recent polls by double digits; Moulton, a Marine veteran and 2020 presidential candidate, drew support from The Boston Globe's editorial board, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, and VoteVets. Moulton has also faced scrutiny over past comments on transgender athletes, which he has since apologized for. The primary winner will face Republican John Deaton in November.

Similar generational clashes played out down-ballot: progressive attorney Patrick Roath, who has spent more than $1 million on his campaign, challenged longtime Rep. Stephen Lynch in the 8th District, while a crowded six-way Democratic field, including Dan Koh and Tram Nguyen, competed to succeed Moulton in the 6th District. Other notable races include a Republican gubernatorial primary between Mike Minogue and Brian Shortsleeve, and contested district attorney races in Norfolk and Suffolk counties. Given the state's heavy Democratic lean, primary winners are strongly favored in November, with results shaping the competitive landscape ahead of the 2026 midterms.