Progressive Senate Candidates Win Primaries Despite Being Outspent
From Massachusetts to Florida, progressive Democrats have overcome major financial disadvantages to win primary races this summer.
A wave of progressive Senate candidates have won their primaries in recent weeks despite being significantly outspent on television advertising, according to a review by NBC News.
The latest example came Tuesday night in Massachusetts, where Sen. Ed Markey, 80, defeated a challenge from Rep. Seth Moulton, 47. Markey leaned on his record supporting policies like the Green New Deal and "Medicare for All" to overcome concerns about his age. He won even though Moulton and outside groups backing him spent $7 million on ads compared with $3.9 million from the pro-Markey side, according to AdImpact — a nearly 2-1 disadvantage for the incumbent.
The spending gap was even wider in other competitive Democratic primaries this summer that pitted progressives against moderates. In Michigan, Rep. Haley Stevens and groups supporting her spent $31.3 million on ads but still lost to former public health official Abdul El-Sayed, whose campaign had just $6.6 million spent on its behalf.
In Minnesota, Rep. Angie Craig held a $19.7 million to $4.7 million ad spending edge over Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who went on to win easily. And in Florida, state Rep. Angie Nixon, a democratic socialist, scored one of the primary season's biggest upsets by defeating former National Security Council aide Alex Vindman. Nixon's campaign spent just $66,000 on ads, versus nearly $2.2 million for Vindman.
Financial advantages are often decisive in primary races, which typically draw lower turnout than general elections. But this year's results show many progressive candidates have had momentum on their side, as Democratic voters seek a different kind of leadership following the party's 2024 election loss.
Massachusetts' primary also underscored a broader trend of vulnerability for Democratic incumbents this cycle. Markey and fellow Massachusetts Reps. Stephen Lynch and Richard Neal all won their races but were held below 60% of the vote. An NBC News analysis found nearly one in five House Democratic incumbents fell below two-thirds support in this year's primaries, compared with a historical average of about 8.7% from 2000 to 2024. Eleven House incumbents, including seven Democrats, have lost their primaries so far this year.
This article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), in accordance with our editorial policy.
