Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) struggled to answer a question about artificial intelligence as he took the debate stage for the final time before the Massachusetts Democratic primary.
Markey, 80, will face Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA), 47, in the Sept. 1 Democratic primary. Moulton has positioned himself as a younger, more viable alternative, casting the race as a choice between generational change and Markey’s decades of experience in Washington.
During Thursday’s debate, Markey was asked whether he uses artificial intelligence in his work.
The senator said he uses “whatever is inside of my iPhone and my iPad,” while acknowledging that he did not know which companies’ technology his devices may use.
Moulton quickly seized on the answer.
“With all due respect, senator, if you don’t even know what you’re using on your phone or your iPad, like, this is why we need a new generation of leaders to regulate these technologies,” Moulton said.
In his closing remarks, Moulton again pointed to Markey’s age and long tenure in Washington.
“I’m running against the senator’s decision after 50 years in Washington to run for another term at age 80,” he said. “I believe in a new generation of leadership. I believe we can do better than the status quo.”
Markey, a progressive who played a pivotal role in advancing the Green New Deal, has argued that he remains energized and capable of serving another term.
“I’m more energized than I’ve ever been before,” Markey said, adding that he has been “crisscrossing the state” and “fighting for families.”
The candidates also clashed over transgender athletes, an issue that has become a flashpoint in the campaign.
Moulton drew national attention after the 2024 election when he expressed concern about his daughters competing against transgender athletes. He later apologized for comments that sparked backlash but maintained that Democrats should be willing to debate the issue.
Markey accused Moulton of putting transgender children “under the political bus after the election.”
“We should have been loving those kids,” Markey said. “We should have been protecting them against Trump, against Fox, against the MAGA base.”
“To anyone hurt by my comments, I’m sorry, because that was not my intention,” Moulton responded. “My intention was to say that we need to take on these issues. We need to have this debate and not cede it to Republicans across the country.”
Asked for a yes-or-no answer on whether transgender athletes should be allowed to participate in girls’ sports, Moulton said they should, while adding that the issue should include discussions about safety and fairness.
The debate also highlighted divisions within the Democratic Party between its progressive and more centrist factions.
“I have put forward such a progressive affordability agenda that plants the flag in the ground and says that housing, healthcare, and education should be human rights,” Moulton said.
GENERATIONAL FIGHT IN BUDDING MASSACHUSETTS DEMOCRATIC SENATE PRIMARY
Markey, meanwhile, touted his support from prominent progressives, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
“Our party has to become more progressive,” Markey said. “We have to stand up for what the people are talking about at the grassroots, especially young people.”