80-year-old establishment Democrat trounces 'moderate' challenger in Senate primary for Massachusetts

The establishment of the Democratic Party was able to easily fend off a "moderate" challenge in the party's primary for the U.S. Senate seat in Massachusetts.

Incumbent Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), who has been in either the House or the Senate for five decades, was declared the winner over challenger Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) only 30 minutes after polling closed.

'What are you going to accomplish in the next six years that you haven’t been able to accomplish in the last 50?'

Unlike in other races, the progressives of the party backed the incumbent, Markey, rather than the challenger, described as more "moderate" despite a leftist record. Far-left Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York was among those who endorsed Markey.

Moulton meanwhile tried to argue that it was time for generational change to make way for younger candidates to take lead of the party.

"People ought to ask, 'What are you going to accomplish in the next six years that you haven’t been able to accomplish in the last 50?'" said the 47-year-old Moulton.

Markey is 80 years old and has been in the U.S. Senate since 2013.

The octogenarian had attacked Moulton for not toeing the party line on transgender-identifying athletes competing in women's sports. Moulton later backed off and apologized to the "trans community."

"To the trans community feeling the weight and the pain of the Trump administration policies, I deeply recognize your trauma," he said in the August debate with Markey. "And I’m sorry if my comments hurt you. That was not my intention."

RELATED: Democrat CAVES to trans lobby after previously warning party about alienating voters

Markey will now go up against Republican John Deaton in the November general election.

Massachusetts has been a reliably blue state and will likely not flip to Republican control in the midterms.

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