Markey and Moulton will debate in August

Incumbent U.S. Sen. Ed Markey and challenger U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton will meet for a debate ahead of September's Democratic primary.

Markey and Moulton agreed to face each other on Thursday, Aug. 20, in an hourlong debate co-hosted by WBUR, WCVB and The Boston Globe.

WCVB anchor Ed Harding will moderate. Panelists include WBUR Morning Edition host Tiziana Dearing, Globe columnist Adrian Walker and WCVB political reporter Sharman Sacchetti.

Moulton, who has served six terms as a congressman, announced his challenge against Markey in October, saying it was time to "change course" in the Senate. Markey is seeking his third term as senator, a job he won following three decades in the House of Representatives.

Moulton, 47, has criticized Markey over his age, saying in his announcement video that the 80-year-old should not seek a third term.

Markey has criticized Moulton's time in Congress, saying that while they agree on many issues, their records "tell a different story."

"When I see a problem, I write the bill," he told WBUR's Anthony Brooks in October.

An Emerson poll taken in early May shows Markey with a 5-point lead, with 29% of respondents saying they don't know who they'll vote for in the Sept. 1 election. Two other Democratic challengers, Alexander Rikleen and William Gates, each polled at just 1%. The poll has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.

Moulton's bid for the Senate has created a bit of a political shakeup in Essex County, with several people vying to replace him as 6th District representative.

Audiences can watch the debate on WCVB, listen live on WBUR, or catch a livestream of the event on wbur.org, wcvb.com and globe.com.

Early voting in the primary runs from Aug. 22-28 across Massachusetts.