And The Winner Is

Ed Markey has been elected to retain Massachusetts's U.S. Senate Class II seat, defeating Republican John Deaton in the November 3, 2026 general election, according to the New York Times results page. The Times reports Markey won the seat, keeping it in Democratic hands. ​

Before reaching the general election, Markey won the Democratic primary on September 1, collecting 573,767 votes in a four-candidate field. He led Seth Moulton by 262,731 votes; Moulton received 35.2% of the primary vote. The Democratic primary drew 884,803 total votes; Deaton ran unopposed in the Republican primary, per the AllCiv race record.

Incumbent's Record

Markey has served about 13 years in the Senate, counting from his 2013 election, according to the AllCiv race record.

His committee assignments, listed on his official Senate website at markey.senate.gov/about/committee-assignments, include:

  • Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship (Ranking Member)
  • Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, including the Subcommittees on Telecommunications and Media; Consumer Protection, Technology, and Data Privacy; and Surface Transportation, Freight, Pipelines, and Safety
  • Committee on Environment and Public Works, including the Subcommittees on Clean Air, Climate and Nuclear Safety; Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight; and Transportation and Infrastructure
  • Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security), including the Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety

In the 119th Congress, Markey sponsored and cosponsored legislation spanning technology, climate, and health policy. Bills he sponsored include S.5544, the Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act of 2026; S.5567, the Civilian Climate Corps for Jobs and Justice Act; S.5541, the Cybersecurity and AI Board of Investigations Act of 2026; and S.5524, the Workforce Opportunities for Communities in Recovery Act, according to Congress.gov. He also cosponsored bills on contraceptive coverage, private-fund liability, foreign-assistance funding for reproductive health care, school policing, and youth voting access, according to his official Senate website; no legislative outcomes are asserted for any of these measures.

Money

Markey raised $8,685,207 and spent $9,537,270, while Deaton raised $1,674,459 and spent $1,186,303, a roughly 5-to-1 fundraising advantage for the incumbent, per finance data as of October 14. Markey's disbursements exceeded his receipts by $852,063.86. Deaton carried $1,005,000 in total debt against $488,156.36 in cash on hand, a gap of $516,843.64, as of the same reporting date.

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COMMONWEALTH TOGETHER PAC spent $1,660,880.75 in independent expenditures opposing Moulton, the full recorded outside total against him, per the AllCiv race record as of November 4. Outside spending supporting Markey totaled $18,007, and no outside spending opposed him; the $1,660,880.75 in opposition spending was directed at Seth Moulton. On the Republican side, the AllCiv record lists $0 in recorded outside spending in support of Deaton, though it also lists $644,500 in pending independent expenditures associated with his candidacy. Commonwealth Prosperity Fund filed a $195,000 independent expenditure in support of Deaton on October 9, 2026, per the Legis1 race record.

Pre-Election Indicators

The general election drew attacks from both the primary and the fall campaign.

In the general election, Deaton accused Markey of falsely branding him a "Trumper," "Trump sycophant," and "MAGA Republican," and said Markey's rhetoric had created a "toxic, dangerous climate," according to a statement Deaton gave to CBS News Boston on October 2; the same report states Markey's campaign condemned violence and said the campaign was focused on Markey's record. At an October 13 debate, Deaton criticized Markey's legislative record, citing past votes on abortion and busing, according to WCVB's report of the debate at wcvb.com; the specific vote claims should be treated as Deaton's debate attack, not established findings.

Cook Political Report rated the race Solid Democratic as of February 11 per its Massachusetts Senate 2026 page; the AllCiv race record shows Cook, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and Inside Elections all carried a Solid Democratic consensus rating as of November 3.

The Kalshi prediction market showed Markey at 99% and Deaton at 1% as of November 4.

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