Edward Markey

“Being 76 myself, yeah, you slow down,” said Alan Healy, a retired accountant and unenrolled voter from Marblehead, who’s strongly considering supporting Moulton in the September primary. “I don’t move as quickly as I used to. My mind is not as sharp as it used to be. It’s one of the reasons I retired.”

Healy isn’t alone. In interviews with 15 Massachusetts voters who are 80 years old, or — similar to Markey, who turns 80 on Saturday — will be in their 80s during their senator’s upcoming six-year term, many expressed reservations about sending a fellow octogenarian to Washington until 2033. It’s those very concerns Moulton is trying to tap into, and will likely attempt to Wednesday when the pair meet in their first primary debate in Chicopee.

Some older Massachusetts voters told the Globe they are looking at the race through the lens of their own experience, balancing questions about stamina and longevity as they age against Markey’s decades-long record in office and his repeated claims that he’s never been more energized than he is now.

But even among Markey’s peers, age isn’t always a deciding factor. Some said they prefer Markey’s progressive posture — pointing to his stance on climate change or his criticism of President Trump. And others said that while a candidate’s age is a factor in their decision-making, Markey is hardly showing his.

“I’m going to be 80 next year myself, and you know, I am still able to think and do things and be involved in different groups,” said Sister Linda Bessom, a 79-year-old Democrat from Somerville. “He certainly has one of the best records. That’s the big thing that I look at.”

Bill Carlson, 80, said he feels like Markey “could probably serve six years, although it would be a stretch.” The Lexington resident nonetheless plans to vote for Moulton in the primary, though he said age isn’t part of his consideration.

“I would just much rather see Seth Moulton in the Senate,” the Democrat said.

The answer to the age question at the crux of Moulton’s campaign — and whether it’s reason enough to pick someone new — seems to be, ehh, not so much. In a Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll of likely Democratic primary voters in April, many said a candidate’s age matters little, if at all, in their vote, a trend that largely held in a June Suffolk/Globe poll of general election voters. About 41 percent surveyed in June said age was a small factor, while 33 percent said it didn’t matter.

Read the Globe’s full story on how age plays among older voters here.

Both Moulton and Markey will have a chance to press their point on the debate stage Wednesday. For Markey, it’s an opportunity to prove his well-worn campaign maxim that it’s not a person’s age but “the age of your ideas” that matter.

Moulton, meanwhile, has his first opening to go after Markey head-on in a race that’s been more of a campfire than a barn-burner. His campaign is also rolling out a slate of endorsements from some current and former Western Mass. elected officials, including West Springfield Mayor Will Reichelt, Chicopee City Councilor Shane Brooks, and former state Senator Andrea Nuciforo. You can watch the debate live at 3 p.m. on WWLP.com.

MAINE EVENTS: A day and a half after an explosive Politico report detailed an allegation of sexual assault from a former girlfriend, embattled Maine US Senate hopeful Graham Platner has yet to say whether he’ll drop out of the race.

That isn’t stopping Maine Democrats from jockeying to take his place — nor, apparently, is it stopping Platner’s campaign from trying to influence who might pick up his mantle.

Devon Murphy-Anderson, the executive director of Maine’s state Democratic party, said in a video posted online Tuesday night that Platner’s campaign staff had repeatedly reached out to the state party in an effort to “put their thumb on the scale” in selecting his replacement (a charge Platner’s campaign disputed).

“This is ‘Game of Thrones’ right now, and everyone’s going to be jockeying,” Nirav Shah, the former director of Maine’s public health agency, told the Globe’s Sam Brodey. “I want to make sure that what comes out is . . . that the nominee is ready for action.”

Shah, who recently finished second in Maine’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, called for a “transparent and open” primary process featuring a televised debate and public town halls. Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson said he was “weighing the best path forward,” after filing paperwork with the Federal Election Commission for a Senate exploratory committee. Jordan Wood, who unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic nomination in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, said he was “continuing conversations” about launching a Senate campaign. Another name in the mix: Dan Kleban, the Maine Beer Company founder, who briefly ran for Senate before dropping out and endorsing Maine Governor Janet Mills last year.

The Globe’s James Pindell has answers to the four most pressing questions about the Maine Senate contest right now, including how the whole replacement process could work should Platner voluntarily bow out.

There are at least two key dates to know:

— Monday: If Platner drops out by 5 p.m. then, Maine Democrats can replace him with another candidate.

— July 27: The day the state Democratic Party would then have to name a replacement.

CHECKS AND BALANCES: In the Suffolk DA’s race, fund-raising and political jabbing play center role by Sean Cotter, The Boston Globe: In politics, money talks. And in a three-way Suffolk County district attorney’s race that’s heating up ahead of a winner-take-all September vote, it tells a tale of a complex three-way confrontation shaped by local controversy and individual personality.

The incumbent, Kevin Hayden, has raised the most money, with donations coming from familiar names in Boston’s political and legal circles. A lesser-known challenger, Linda Champion, has capitalized on Hayden’s recent controversial move to charge a Boston police officer after a shooting to lure new supporters and donations to her campaign. And then there’s Rachael Rollins — the former district attorney who resigned from her subsequent job as US attorney amid scandal three years ago — who has garnered significant coverage, but apparently barely raised any money yet.

SPOTLIGHT FOLLOW: Auditor Diana DiZoglio says MassHousing program flagged by Spotlight ‘reeks of fraud and corruption’ by Joey Flechas and Gordon Russell, The Boston Globe: State Auditor Diana DiZoglio said a state program aimed at boosting affordable housing should get an independent government investigation following a recent Globe Spotlight Team investigation that found evidence of fraud and conflict of interest.

DiZoglio, who said the reporting raised concerns of possible “criminal conduct,” said her office may conduct its own inquiry into the program, which awarded $1.4 million to two developers who had hidden connections to the state official handing out the money.

BREAKING NEW GROUND: Wu taps affordable housing developer to BPDA board by Catherine Carlock, The Boston Globe: Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has tapped Felicia Jacques, principal developer and manager of affordable housing firm Maloney Development LLC, to join the Boston Planning and Development Agency board. If the City Council approves her appointment, Jacques, who would take the position vacated by Theodore “Ted” Landsmark, would become the first Black woman to serve on the city’s powerful five-member development review board.

BROCKTON LATEST: Brockton mayor could face assault and battery charges by Tonya Alanez, The Boston Globe: Embattled Brockton Mayor Moises Rodrigues, who two Brockton students recently accused of inappropriately touching them during school-related activities, could be facing a potential assault and battery charge, the Plymouth district attorney’s office confirmed Tuesday. The district attorney’s office said State Police detectives assigned to the office filed an application in Brockton District Court on Thursday seeking a clerk’s hearing on a proposed criminal complaint.

DETENTIONS SPIKE: ICE detentions rise in Massachusetts amid World Cup festivities by Sarah Betancourt, GBH News: International soccer fans have been celebrating the warm welcome from the US while visiting for the World Cup. But immigration lawyers and advocates say ICE detentions have increased in frequency since the World Cup started in early June.

ICE-Y RELATIONS: ‘I welcome ICE suing us:’ Massachusetts sheriff claps back at ICE over social media post by Giulia McDonnell Nieto del Rio, The Boston Globe: Bristol County Sheriff Paul Heroux said ICE was blaming Bristol County officials for simply adhering to a state law, which does not let local law enforcement legally keep people in custody after they have posted bail in order for ICE to arrest them later.

Trump says ceasefire with Iran has ended by Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post.

The Tartan Army rode school buses to World Cup games. Now, they are donating $15,000 to Mass. students. by Bryan Hecht and Marcela Rodrigues, The Boston Globe.

As AI boom reaches Massachusetts, state lawmakers push for strict data center rules by Sam Ferland, Daily Hampshire Gazette.

Berkshire cities pass on extended World Cup last call but local watch parties continue by Izzy Bryars, The Berkshire Eagle.

Mass. business confidence climbs to optimism for first time since February by Stephen MacLeod, Boston Business Journal.

Thanks for reading The Scrum.

This newsletter was edited and produced by Matt Stout.

Have a question for the team? Email us at [email protected].

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