Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) lost his U.S. Senate primary to incumbent Ed Markey (D-MA) on Tuesday, falling short 35% to 65% in a race that became a referendum on how Democrats should approach trans rights. As John Russell reported for LGBTQ Nation, Moulton’s defeat comes roughly a year after he became one of the first Democrats to blame support for transgender rights for the party’s 2024 election losses—a claim contradicted by exit polling data.
The irony cuts deep: Moulton has consistently voted pro-trans throughout his career, maintaining a perfect 100 score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Congressional Scorecard, co-sponsoring the Transgender Bill of Rights, and voting against the “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act.” Yet his November 2024 comments to the New York Times—where he expressed concern about transgender athletes competing in women’s sports—triggered immediate backlash. He was booed at Boston’s No Kings Rally that October and again at the city’s Pride parade in June. By August, facing mounting pressure, Moulton apologized during a debate, telling the trans community, “You matter, you’re valued, and I will always have your back.”
The primary result suggests Massachusetts voters rejected the premise that moderating on trans equality would help Democrats. Markey, by contrast, made trans equality a central campaign issue and won decisively. Trans activist Charlotte Clymer noted the speed of the outcome: “It took half an hour for Ed Markey to beat Seth Moulton on Election Night. 30 minutes. I love you, Massachusetts.”
Whether this outcome influences Democratic strategy heading into 2028 remains unclear. Some party figures continue to argue that trans rights are a political liability, while Moulton’s loss suggests that explicit repositioning may alienate progressive voters without necessarily gaining ground elsewhere.
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