Nia-Malika Henderson, Columnist

Ayanna Pressley’s Fire and Style Are What Senate Democrats Need

October 4, 2025 at 12:00 PM UTC

Nia-Malika Henderson is a politics and policy columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. A former senior political reporter for CNN and the Washington Post, she has covered politics and campaigns for almost two decades.

Get in the race.
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Senator Ed Markey managed to beat a Kennedy in Massachusetts in his last race in 2020, but he could face an even tougher challenge in 2026. At 79, Markey faces calls for a generational shift, even as his progressive bona fides align with his state and the mood of the Democratic base. A recent newspaper column called on Markey, who would be 86 at the end of his third term, to “Pass the torch.”