Why Mass. Democratic incumbents are skipping primary debates

Massachusetts Democratic incumbents are sitting out debates — and letting their challengers fill the void against the GOP.

Why it matters: Two of the state’s highest-profile primaries heading into September haven’t seen any public in-person head-to-head matchups.

  • Instead, Democratic challengers Seth Moulton and Patrick Roath appeared with Republican candidates when the incumbents didn’t show up.

State of play: Moulton debated Republican attorney John Deaton on WBZ last Monday night without incumbent Sen. Ed Markey, who declined the invitation.

Read the full article here https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/06/22/massachusetts-democrats-incumbents-skip-primary-debates