MASSACHUSETTS, United States (JTA) — Massachusetts progressive Sen. Ed Markey, a sharp critic of Israel, on Tuesday beat the more moderate Rep. Seth Moulton by a wide margin, securing the Democratic nomination for the upcoming US Senate race.

The Associated Press called the race just a half hour after polls closed, at 8:31 p.m., when Markey had secured 75.9% of votes to Moulton’s 24.1%, with 3% of ballots tallied.

“Tonight is a testament to the power of the progressive movement,” Markey said on Tuesday night. “It is a progressive movement fueled by young people demanding more from their leaders.”

Noting that he spoke to Moulton prior to taking the stage, Markey added that he looks forward to working together “to build a better future for everyone.”

Moulton, meanwhile, told his supporters that he had “called Sen. Markey to congratulate him on his victory tonight.” He conveyed his “full support” for his opponent as the Democratic nominee, stressing that they “must stand united this November to protect our democracy and defeat Donald Trump.”

Markey, 80, began serving in the US House of Representatives 50 years ago and remained there until he was elected to fill the Senate seat of John Kerry, who was appointed US secretary of state in 2013. During Markey’s time in the House, he was a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and in the Senate, he has supported multiple resolutions aimed at cutting military aid and munitions sales to Israel.

Moulton, 47, was born two years after Markey arrived on Capitol Hill. He has been serving in the US House since 2015 and has opposed both the Democratic socialist agenda and the aging establishment, instead calling for “new energy, new ideas and leaders willing to put people over politics.”

“We ran a race that stood on principle, that wasn’t........

© The Times of Israel