In-person early voting started last Saturday and runs through Friday for the Sept. 1 primary election, with Marblehead voters choosing candidates for Congress and U.S. Senate.
Here are the remaining opportunities for early voting:
Monday, Aug. 24, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 25, 8:30a.m.-4 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 26, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 28, 8:30 a.m.-noon
Senate showdown
Marblehead native and U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton is challenging incumbent Sen. Ed Markey for the Democratic nomination for Markey’s Senate seat.
The two men faced off in their third and final debate Aug. 20.
Moulton, 47, again made Markey’s age and long tenure in Washington — 50 years in the House and Senate — central to his case for replacing the 80-year-old incumbent, arguing that it is time for generational change.
“I respect the work that you’ve done, and I’ve supported it, but it’s not enough,” Moulton said to Markey. “It’s time for a new generation of leadership.”
The age issue was front and center when the candidates were asked whether they ever use artificial intelligence.
“I use whatever is inside my iPhone or my iPad, whatever comes up,” Markey answered. He later added, “It doesn’t make any difference whether it’s called Siri or it’s called Claude… We need to build safeguards around it.”
Moulton answered, “With all due respect, Senator, if you don’t even know what you’re using on your phone or your iPad, this is why we need a new generation of leaders to regulate these technologies to make sure that they are safe.”
Moulton supports term limits and an age limit in Congress. Markey does not.
“Everyone watching this debate can see that I’m more energized than I’ve ever been before,” Markey said. “If somebody can’t do the job, they should just step down. But I can do the job.”
Markey cited his experience pushing progressive causes, including co-authoring the Green New Deal resolution. Moulton argued that Markey’s efforts were “not enough” and noted that the Green New Deal itself did not pass Congress.
Moulton apologized again for his comments in 2024 that he would not want his young daughters playing against transgender athletes. He said he believes transgender athletes should be allowed to participate in girls’ sports “with a discussion about where we have issues of safety and fairness.”
Markey accused Moulton of throwing trans kids “under the bus” for political gain.
The candidates agreed on several issues, including the importance of fighting President Donald Trump, ending the war in Iran and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The winner of the Sept. 1 primary will face Republican John Deaton in the November election.
6th District race
Six Democrats are vying to succeed Moulton in the 6th Congressional District. They are Bethany Andres-Beck, John Beccia, Jamie Zahlaway Belsito, Dan Koh, Mariah Lancaster and Tram Nguyen.
The candidates have emphasized issues including affordability, housing, health care, education, immigration and the role of the federal government. At an Aug. 6 forum in Lynn, the candidates found common ground on issues such as housing costs and health care while drawing distinctions over foreign policy, political experience and the role of government.
On the Republican side, Micah Q. Jones of Essex is the only candidate seeking the GOP nomination, so there will be no Republican primary contest for the seat. The Democratic nominee will face Jones in the Nov. 3 general election.
Before you head to the polls, check out the Current’s Voters Guide to the 6th District race HERE. It features consolidated coverage from the North Shore/Merrimack Valley news consortium comprising the Marblehead Current, Swampscott Tides, Andover News, Manchester Cricket and Burlington Buzz.
