# Markey, Democrats Down on Chuck? > Democrats face leadership scramble after Senate election. - Title: Markey, Democrats Down on Chuck? · The Boston Globe | Shortify - Summary: Democrats face leadership scramble after Senate election. US Senator Ed Markey and other Democrats are debating Senate leadership after winning a Senate… - Keywords: senate, democrats, markey, schumer, leadership, progressive agenda, senate majority, The Boston Globe - Source: The Boston Globe — https://bostonglobe.com/2026/11/06/newsletters/markey-senate-leader-schumer-the-scrum - Read time: 2 min - Topics: senate, democrats, markey, schumer, leadership, progressive agenda, senate majority, news, local ## Markey's Progressive Agenda US Senator Ed Markey laid out an ambitious vision for the next Congress including universal childcare, free community college, paid sick leave for all workers, a transgender bill of rights, and an end to fighting… > This must be our agenda, our progressive agenda ## Senate Leadership Question Democrats newly empowered with a Senate majority face a question: Who will lead them? ## Seth Moulton's Critique Seth Moulton, Markey's primary challenger, argued that Democrats needed new leaders and said no more Chuck Schumer. > If we want progressive change, we need new leaders ## Markey's Hesitation Markey avoided endorsing Schumer for another term as leader, saying Democrats need a big debate about new Senate leadership. > Democrats need a big debate about new leadership in the senate the direction of the senate ## Schumer's Re-election Plans Chuck Schumer expects to be reelected when Senate Democrats meet in the coming weeks. > Schumer told reporters in washington this week that he expects to be reelected ## Senate 'Fight Club' A coalition of left-leaning Senators, including Elizabeth Warren, took issue with how Schumer favored candidates in some competitive primaries. > the senate fight club a coalition of left-leaning senators who took issue with the way schumer and senate leaders favored candidates in some competitive primaries ## Other Senate Hopefuls Several Senate hopefuls voiced hesitation or outright opposition to supporting a Schumer leadership bid. > A handful of senate hopefuls who won their closely watched races this week voiced hesitation or outright opposition to supporting a schumer leadership bid ## Markey's Policy Focus Markey wants Senate Democrats to use their new majority to pursue progressive policies including tax incentives for wind and solar development, reversing Medicaid cuts, and implementing the Green New Deal. > All that has to be on the table that’s what people were voting for on tuesday night ## John Gaskey's Defeat Democrat Sarah Hewins won the Carver district seat, the first Democrat to win in more than 25 years in Massachusetts's southeastern corner. > Democrat sarah hewins a member of the carver select board held an 89-vote lead over gaskey as of thursday evening ## Dan Greaney's Bid TV-writer-turned 2028 presidential hopeful Dan Greaney is running a campaign in Massachusetts cities named Springfield. > Springfield is america ## Weld and Kerry Reunion Former Republican Governor Bill Weld and former Secretary of State John Kerry will celebrate the 30th anniversary of their post-1.996 Senate election toast. > The duo met at the now-closed mcgann’s pub three decades ago to bury the hatchet and share a celebratory/consolation drink after kerry defeated weld in massachusetts’s us senate race ## Maura Healey's Compliance Governor Maura Healey said she would 'absolutely' comply with Question 1, the ballot measure voters passed on Tuesday subjecting her office and the Legislature to the state’s public records law. > Whatever the law is whatever the voters voted for we’re going to do ## MassHealth Dental Crisis MassHealth dental program is still struggling with finding dentists who accept insurance in some parts of the state. > People on masshealth struggled to find dentists who will accept their insurance in some parts of the state even before a near-total collapse of the administrative functions needed to keep the state’s medicaid dental program functioning ## Next Steps for Democrats With Democrats holding a Senate majority and a lame-duck Trump, next year could be a wild ride as they pursue progressive policies. > What happens when an irresistible force democrats riding a blue wave of voter discontent to large house and senate majorities meets an unmovable object a president loath to acknowledge any sign of weakness ## Key takeaway US Senator Ed Markey and other Democrats are debating Senate leadership after winning a Senate majority.