Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) will not challenge Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) for his seat, opting instead to run for re-election in the House. “Hearing from so many people from throughout our Commonwealth encouraging me to run for the United States Senate was deeply humbling and a testament to the strength of our movement,” Pressley said in a statement. “It would be an honor to serve the whole Commonwealth—but with our daughter in her last year at home before college and a district that has been in the crosshairs of this White House, I am certain that the Massachusetts 7th is where I belong in this moment,” she continued. It is the honor of my professional life to be your Congresswoman and I’m running for re-election pic.twitter.com/dds5zExpx1 — Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) December 2, 2025 Fox News has more: Pressley also told The Boston Globe she was not closing the door on a future Senate run. “I’m not closing the door to a Senate run down the line,” she told the outlet. Her decision not to enter the race this cycle avoids a potentially awkward matchup between the two progressives. Markey has long been aligned with the party’s left flank. The race already features Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., who has sought to draw a generational contrast with the 79-year-old senator. A Suffolk University–Boston Globe poll released before Thanksgiving also showed Markey leading Moulton 45% to 22% among likely Democratic primary voters. But when Pressley was included in a hypothetical matchup, she narrowly edged Markey 35% to 34%, with Moulton falling to 16%. “At a joint press conference headlined by Senator Ed Markey and Representative Ayanna Pressley this fall, one thing was obvious: there was no way the two were going to be running against each other next year, writes James Pindell,” The Boston Globe stated. At a joint press conference headlined by Senator Ed Markey and Representative Ayanna Pressley this fall, one thing was obvious: there was no way the two were going to be running against each other next year, writes James Pindell. https://t.co/XxipKF3EWN — The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) December 2, 2025 POLITICO shared additional comments: In a statement responding to Pressley’s announcement, Moulton called her “a powerful advocate for justice and opportunity in Massachusetts,” and Markey described the Squad member as “a champion for the 7th Congressional District, for Massachusetts, and for our nation.” “I share her commitment to the fight against authoritarianism, to take back the House and the Senate in 2026, and I am deeply grateful for her continued partnership,” Markey said.