Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley won’t challenge Sen. Ed Markey for his Senate seat and instead plans to seek reelection to her House seat, she announced Tuesday, ending weeks of speculation about the progressive Democrat’s political future.
“Hearing from so many people from throughout our Commonwealth encouraging me to run for the United States Senate was deeply humbling and a testament to the strength of our movement. It would be an honor to serve the whole Commonwealth—but with our daughter in her last year at home before college and a district that has been in the crosshairs of this White House, I am certain that the Massachusetts 7th is where I belong in this moment,” Pressley said in a statement.
Markey, who will be 80 when he’s up for reelection next year, is already facing a challenge from Rep. Seth Moulton. The Salem Democrat has centered his campaign on a call for generational change in the wake of the 2024 elections.
Pressley was considering her own bid for Senate, and a recent Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll showed her neck and neck with Markey in a three-way Democratic primary.
