Why Moulton thinks age is the key in challenging Markey for his Senate seat

In the latest sign of a generational split inside the Democratic Party, Massachusetts Congressman Seth Moulton, 46, said he will challenge Sen. Ed Markey, 79, in the primary next September.

Senior political reporter Anthony Brooks spoke with Moulton on WBUR's All Things Considered about his new campaign and why he thinks age is a key factor to defeating the sitting senator.

Read their conversation below. (This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.)

Brooks: Why are you jumping into this race?

Moulton: “We learned that the status quo is not working. The status quo in the Democratic Party, the same old playbook, the same political leadership has gotten us another term of Donald Trump, who is tearing this country apart and hurting a lot of people in Massachusetts and across America. So we've got to change the status quo and that's what this election is about.”

You're making a case pretty forcefully in the [campaign] video that Ed Markey has been doing this for too long. You point out that he's been in Congress for 50 years, but can you explain why his age is the key issue here?

“It's certainly not the only issue. Every political consultant will tell me not to say this, but the honest truth is that Sen. Markey is too old. He'll be 86 years old at the end of his next term if he's reelected. And I think that we need to learn the lessons of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Dianne Feinstein and Joe Biden. And it's not taking anything away from Sen. Markey or his public service. It's just about investing in our future. I believe it's time for a new generation of leadership to take on Trump and lead us forward.”

When I hear you say that, it sounds like it's only about age, but are you proposing new policies, new ideas, a new approach? 

“First of all, I'm not going to vote for Sen. Schumer, the majority leader, who's been there for so long because I believe our party needs new energy and change."

In your video, you say that you want Massachusetts to lead the nation in big, forward-looking, progressive solutions that make life better for working people. My guess is that Ed Markey is going to argue he's already doing that. Is there any daylight between you and Markey on policy? 

"Sen. Markey and I agree on many of the issues, there's not question about that. But this is a question of status quo versus change. And here's a good example: We have a huge affordability crisis in Massachusetts. People just cannot afford to live here. I have a plan to address that — by making [public transit] faster than driving to get around Massachusetts. A fast, regional rail program connecting North and South stations that will make it faster than driving, to get access to the best jobs in the most affordable housing in the state. Literally making differences in the lives of millions of Bay Staters."

Let's say you win and you're in the Senate as the state's new junior senator. What's the first major piece of legislation that Sen. Moulton sponsors that Sen. Markey wouldn't have sponsored? 

"Well, I don't know if [Markey] would sponsor my high-speed rail bill or not. Some people think it's too ambitious. I don't think it's too ambitious to have what the rest of the world has. We should have the freedom to travel at 200 miles per hour. You should be able to get from downtown Springfield to downtown Boston in 40 minutes. We don't even have plans like that on the table today and we should."

I want to come back to the issue of Markey's age. What would you say to people who might feel that focusing on Markey's age is ageist, and where do you draw the line? If 80 is too old to run for the Senate, is it OK to run at 78, at 75, at 72?

“We have age limits for judges, and I believe we should have them for members of Congress as well. So let's have a conversation about what exactly that age limit should be and whatever we conclude, I will fight to pass it into law and hold myself to it regardless.”