North Shore Progressives wholeheartedly endorses Senator Ed Markey for re-election. We have reprinted below a speech that Salem Ward 6 City Councillor Katelyn Holappa delivered in support of Senator Markey at a campaign event in July. Please read her words and reflect on them before you vote in this primary. After Holappa's speech, read on for additional background on Moulton that outlines why we do not believe he is fit to be our Senator.
Early voting begins tomorrow. Make a plan to vote in this primary. Although recent polls are favorable toward Markey, the stakes too high to risk a Moulton victory.
Councillor Katelyn Holappa's Endorsement
Senator Markey has my strong support, in part, because of my experience with his opponent and Salem’s sitting Congressman, Seth Moulton. As a proud trans women who has lived experience as one of his many trans constituents, I believe that it is important to share that experience, and identify some of the start contrasts between these two candidates for Senate.
I haven’t forgotten about what our Congressman said about my community, the trans community, merely a few days after the 2024 national elections. I imagine he felt brave cyber-bullying children and throwing all of us under the bus while he did what he does best, attention seeking and shameless self promotion on daytime cable television. Well, at least he spent those political points on something worthwhile, right? Something to meaningfully rein in the corruption of Trump Administration, right?? I’ve heard a lot of talk about the Trump administration from our Congressman, but frankly I haven’t seen much in the results department.
It is clear that Seth Moulton’s attention is not focused on the service of others, but on his own image, his power, and his wealth. Or in other words, Seth Moulton is actively doing everything that he says he stands against. He is a liar. His comments in debates and his campaign ads tell a different tale than his record, so, let’s quickly set the record straight for Congressman Moulton. His voting record? Flawed. His ally ship to the queer community? Fictional. His stock portfolio? Fantastic! And if you can believe it the official grade on his Integrity Index Scorecard also begins with an F… and that’s it, he just got a big fat F. (Ed got a A-, that’s pretty good, but not as good as Senator Warren!)
The simple truth is this: Congressman Moulton has earned the distrust of his constituents.
At the Democratic Convention earlier this summer, we, the Salem community, let the rest of the state know just how we feel about this race. In the city that has his only constituent office in his congressional district, Seth Moulton had a lower percentage of votes at the caucus than Donald Trump had in the 2024 presidential election.
In stark contrast to our Congressman, Senator Markey has proven that he knows how to lead with both empathy and compassion. You can see it in how he talks to people, who he platforms, and what he chooses to speak out against. He knows that perspective and life experience and diversity matter.
Senator Markey has earned my trust, not just because of his extensive experience as an effective public servant (but, sure, there is that). Senator Markey has earned my trust because he has integrity and because he’s consistent. For decades, he has shown up and supported marginalized people even and especially when it wasn’t popular. He isn’t afraid to use his voice, his platform, or his vote. He isn’t afraid to loudly support divisive or controversial politics when he knows that it is the right thing to do. He understands the authority and the responsibility that he has as a legislator, and with the power that we vest in him, he in turn invests in the greater good, and the service of others.
These are the qualities that we need more of in politics, at every level, from here in Salem all the way up to Washington. We need courageous people who aren’t afraid to stand up for what is right, people than we can trust will have our back. We need that. My trans sisters need that.
I know that Ed Markey has got my back, and so I’ve got his too.
Additional Background on Moulton
Below we have organized additional background about Moulton we encourage you to consider before casting your primary vote.
Moulton's Fundraising Boom After Transphobic Remarks
Not only did Moulton ride a PR wave after he scapegoated trans kids as the reason for Trump's re-election, he also raised a ton of money because of his remarks. From the Boston Globe:
Moulton raised $547,153 in the period between Election Day and the end of 2024 — a tenfold increase from the same period in 2022 and an unusual feat in the aftermath of an election, when political giving usually falls. Over 80 percent of the donations were $100 or less
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Is it any wonder he was booed at this year's Boston Pride March?
s. baum
Sweetheart Deals with Defense Tech Companies
Congressman Moulton has profited from investments made in advanced defense technologies, including AI tech. There are legitimate questions whether he has exploited his role on the House Armed Services Committee and ranking Democrat on the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces to amass wealth. From the American Prospect:
"What makes this transaction suspect is not just the appearance of a conflict of interest when a sitting member of Congress invests in a company whose fortunes are influenced by policies that the member makes. Investment in webAI was made by closely held private equity companies in a series of private placements. These investments were simply not available to ordinary arm’s-length investors. The question is whether someone wanted to do Moulton a big favor by giving him the chance to get in on the ground floor of a company wired for rapid growth, helped by policies championed by Moulton."
Robert Kuttner
Robert Kuttner
Dishonest Smear Tactics
Moulton's campaign has been engaging in dishonest smear tactics against Senator Markey for months. At the second debate, Moulton accused Markey of having ties with Jeffrey Epstein of his presence in the Epstein files. (Never mind the fact that Moulton himself appears in these files as well.)
Markey's appearance in these files is due to email exchanges he had with Bob Crowe, a lobbyist who had been working for Epstein. Boston Globe reporters analyzed these emails and found that their content had nothing to do with Epstein or his sex trafficking empire. Even more galling is that these reporters discovered that Crowe has held fundraisers for Moulton. From this week's Boston Globe Scrum newsletter:
And Moulton’s attempt to tie Markey to the infamous sex offender through Bob Crowe, a Washington lobbyist and Democratic donor with deep Massachusetts ties, could be a bit of a self-own: On April 11, 2023, Crowe hosted an event for Moulton at his home in Palm Beach, Fla., he confirmed to the Globe. “Yes, I remember having at least one, maybe more,” Crowe said, noting he had many fundraisers for politicians over the years, including Markey and Moulton.
Moulton apparently does not deny his appearance at Crowe's residence, but insists that the event was not a fundraiser. 👌🏻
Poor Judgement in Early 2025
Shortly before Trump's Inauguration in 2025, Moulton called for compromising with Republicans in Congress. These remarks—coupled with his transphobic comments—demonstrate reveal his priorities at the time. It's clear that the Congressman was more concerned with wooing conservative voters ahead of these midterms than fighting Trump's authoritarian agenda. This interview also reveal that Moulton had significantly underestimated the extent to which his Republican peers were beholden to Trump.
After months of hard work from progressive activists (including the author of this piece), Moulton eventually became significantly more vocal in his opposition to Trump. He's now trying to present himself as a progressive champion, which is false advertising.
Anthony Brooks
Progressive Voting Record
Progressive Punch ranks Moulton 293th in the House based on his voting track record. Here is their full analysis of his voting record.
In contrast, Markey is ranked 2nd in the Senate, with Warren in the top slot. Here is their full analysis of his voting record.
Progressive Mass has endorsed Markey in this race. Here are other endorsements for Senator Markey:
What Does Moulton Fight For?
Jonathan Cohn, Policy Director for Progressive Mass, wrote a must-read essay on his personal blog that analyzed Seth Moulton's track record.
Jonathan Cohn
For those without a Medium account, here is a key excerpt from the article:
- "Seth Moulton has repeatedly voted to undermine regulations of the cryptocurrency industry, increasing the likelihood of everyday people being subjected to scams and the economy as a whole to risk so that billionaires can make more profit. (See here, here, and here.) This is a contrast with Markey, who has stood up for consumer protection and financial stability
- Seth Moulton has voted for resolutions blaming Black Lives Matter for the death of cops, expressing gratitude toward ICE, and commending Border Patrol agents as they held immigrants in deadly conditions.
- Seth Moulton has a history of voting to expand the unaccountable federal surveillance powers that Donald Trump has been turning against the American people. (See here, here, and here for examples.) Markey has, by contrast, been a strong champion of civil rights and civil liberties (See here and here, for example).
- Seth Moulton has repeatedly voted to undermine financial regulations and weaken the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to increase the profits of scam artists and predatory lenders at all of our expense. (See here, here, here, here, and here)
- Seth Moulton voted to ban schools on military bases from teaching anti-racist curriculum or providing a comprehensive perspective on US history. (VOTE)
- Seth Moulton voted to expand work requirements for SNAP and TANF and to end the pause on student loan repayment. (VOTE) Markey was one of the few Democratic senators to vote NO.
- Seth Moulton voted to expand mandatory minimum sentencing at a time when the harm they have done in fueling mass incarceration was clear. (VOTE)
- Seth Moulton has repeatedly voted to weaken environmental regulations in order to bolster the profits of large corporations. (See here, here, and here).
- Seth Moulton has lambasted the Fair Share Amendment, MA’s surtax on income over $1 million, as “alienat[ing]” and has criticized “progressive populism” as “great for Democrats if we want to continue losing.” By contrast, Ed Markey stood with faith, labor, and community groups in campaigning for Fair Share in 2022.
- Seth Moulton opposes Medicare for All, tuition-free public higher education, a nationwide just cause eviction standard, and rent stabilization. Markey is on record in support of all of them (see questionnaire; also co-sponsorship record).
- Seth Moulton has joined Republicans in treating DC like a colony unable to pass its own laws."
