Ayanna Pressley Backs Down from Senate Challenge Against Markey

After months of speculation and pressure from far-left activists, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) announced Tuesday that she will not challenge Sen. Ed Markey in the Democratic primary, opting instead to run for re-election in her safe congressional seat.

Her decision averts what would have been a messy and divisive battle inside the progressive wing of the Democratic Party a fight that could have further exposed just how fractured and extreme the “Squad” and its allies have become.

Pressley framed her retreat in personal terms, citing her daughter’s final year at home before college. In a statement, she claimed that “the Massachusetts 7th is where I belong in this moment.” But make no mistake: this was as much about political calculation as it was about family.

A recent Suffolk University–Boston Globe poll showed that Pressley would have been a formidable threat to Markey:

• In a head-to-head, she narrowly led Markey 35% to 34%.

• Rep. Seth Moulton, already in the race, trailed badly with just 16% support.

Despite being aligned on most far-left policies, Pressley and Markey represent different factions of the progressive movement. Markey, at 79 years old, is a relic of the old-school left who’s tried to remain relevant by embracing the Green New Deal and cozying up to Squad members like AOC and Pressley herself.

But Pressley is part of the newer, more radical insurgency, defined by its activism, identity politics, and rejection of institutional norms. A Pressley vs. Markey matchup would have pitted activist optics against progressive incumbency, and it might have torn the party’s fragile unity apart heading into a critical election year.

Rather than risk exposing those fractures or perhaps risk losing a Senate bid she couldn’t guarantee Pressley is playing it safe. Her current House seat in the Massachusetts 7th is virtually unwinnable for any non-Democrat, allowing her to retain national influence without real electoral risk.

Key takeaways from Pressley’s decision:

• Avoids a generational and ideological split among Massachusetts Democrats.

• Preserves Markey’s Senate seat for now, keeping another Squad-aligned voice out of the upper chamber.

• Signals Pressley’s political ambition is far from over, as she told The Boston Globe she’s “not closing the door” to a future Senate run.

Meanwhile, Rep. Seth Moulton remains in the race, trying to draw a contrast with Markey based on age and “fresh leadership,” but with Pressley out of the way, Markey holds a commanding lead among Democratic voters. Whether Moulton can catch up remains to be seen.

For now, Massachusetts avoids an internal Democrat war, but it also keeps one of the most radical Squad members comfortably entrenched in Congress where she continues to push policies that are out of step with the rest of America.

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