2026 United States Senate election in Massachusetts
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| Elections in Massachusetts |
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The 2026 United States Senate election in Massachusetts will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Incumbent two-term Democratic Senator Ed Markey, was re-elected in 2020 with 66.2% of the vote and is running for re-election to a third full term.
Markey, who will be 80 years old at the time of the 2026 election, has faced calls to retire due to his age.[1]
Democratic primary
Candidates
Declared
Publicly expressed interest
- Earl Phalen, nonprofit CEO[4]
Potential
- Jake Auchincloss, U.S. Representative for Massachusetts's 4th congressional district (2021–present) (currently running for re-election)[5][6]
Endorsements
Ed Markey
- U.S. senators
- Elizabeth Warren, U.S. senator from Massachusetts (2013–present)[7]
- U.S. representatives
- Richard Neal, U.S. representative from Massachusetts's 1st congressional district (1989–present)[8]
- State legislators
- Marc Pacheco, former state senator from the 1st Plymouth and Bristol district (1993–2025)[6]
- Michael Rodrigues, state senator from the 1st Bristol and Plymouth district (2011–present)[6]
- 13 state representatives[6]
- County officials
- Paul Heroux, sheriff of Bristol County (2023–present)[6]
- Marian Ryan, Middlesex County District Attorney (2013–present)[6]
Fundraising
| Campaign finance reports as of March 31, 2025 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
| Ed Markey (D) | $3,385,571 | $2,745,871 | $2,291,677 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission[9] | |||
Republican primary
Candidates
Publicly expressed interest
Declined
- Charlie Baker, president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (2023–present) and former Governor of Massachusetts (2015–2023)[11]
- Michael Soter, state representative from the 8th Worcester district (2019–present)[12]
Other candidates
American Independent Party
Filed paperwork
- Philip Peter Devincentis Jr.[13]
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Inside Elections[14] | Solid D | February 20, 2025 |
| The Cook Political Report[15] | Solid D | February 13, 2025 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[16] | Safe D | March 12, 2025 |
| Race To The WH[17] | Safe D | April 27, 2025 |
Polling
Hypothetical polling
- Ed Markey vs. Charlie Baker
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Ed Markey (D) |
Charlie Baker (R) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UMass Amherst/YouGov[18][A] | February 14–20, 2025 | 700 (A) | ± 4.8% | 35% | 33% | – | 33% |
| MassINC Polling Group[19] | October 29 – November 1, 2024 | 582 (LV) | ± 4.9% | 34% | 40% | 7%[b] | 19% |
- Ed Markey vs. John Deaton
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Ed Markey (D) |
John Deaton (R) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurveyUSA[20][B] | February 28 – March 4, 2025 | 775 (RV) | – | 45% | 26% | – | 30% |
Notes
- Partisan clients
References
- ^ Keller, Jon (October 20, 2024). "Is it time for Ed Markey to step aside? Chairman of Massachusetts Democrats weighs in". CBS News. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
- ^ Medsger, Matthew (October 27, 2024). "Ed Markey says he will seek a third term in 2026, when he will be 80 years old". Boston Herald.
- ^ Garrity, Kelly (May 30, 2025). "Meet Markey's primary challenger". Politico. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
- ^ Medsger, Matthew (June 4, 2025). "Another potential Ed Markey challenger emerges calling for fresh perspective". Boston Herald. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
- ^ Will Auchincloss run against Markey?. WCVB-TV. January 19, 2025. Retrieved January 22, 2025 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b c d e f Garrity, Kelly (July 1, 2025). "Markey marks his territory". Politico. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
- ^ Stout, Matt (June 25, 2025). "In early show of political muscle, Ed Markey gets Elizabeth Warren's endorsement". The Boston Globe. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
- ^ Micek, John (July 8, 2025). "Western Mass.'s most powerful pol endorses Ed Markey's 2026 reelection bid". The Republican. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ^ "2026 Election United States Senate - Massachusetts". fec.gov. Federal Election Commission. Retrieved April 23, 2025.
- ^ Van Buskirk, Chris (May 7, 2025). "John Deaton, former challenger to Warren, considering a run against Ed Markey". Boston Herald. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
- ^ Altimari, Daniela; Ellen McIntire, Mary (January 7, 2025). "An early look at potentially vulnerable senators in 2026". Roll Call. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
Baker is currently the head of the NCAA and a spokesman for the organization dismissed the rumors, saying Baker is 'not running for any political office.'
- ^ Van Buskirk, Chris (April 29, 2025). "Bellingham Republican setting sites on potentially running for Mass. constitutional office". Boston Herald. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
- ^ "Form 2 for Report FEC-1880236". Federal Election Commission. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
- ^ "Senate Ratings". Inside Elections. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
- ^ "2026 CPR Senate Race Ratings". Cook Political Report. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
- ^ "2026 Senate ratings". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
- ^ "2026 Senate Forecast". Race to the WH. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
- ^ Medsger, Matthew (February 26, 2025). "Charlie Baker 'does not intend to run' for Senate, despite poll showing him right on Ed Markey's heels". Boston Herald. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
- ^ "The MassINC Polling Group - Survey of 582 likely voters in Massachusetts" (PDF). Squarespace. November 1, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
- ^ "Once Messaging is Shared, Republican John Deaton Leads Democrat Ed Markey in MA 2026 US Senate Race, Despite Deeply Unpopular Trump". SurveyUSA. March 6, 2025. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
External links
- Official campaign websites