Battenfeld: Will 78-year-old Ed Markey skate to another Senate term?

Will ancient Ed Markey skate to another cushy Senate term despite a push from some Democrats to get rid of the old dead wood?

Markey turns 79 next month and will be 80 by the time he faces a primary, yet no prominent Democrat has emerged who has the courage to primary him.

How does Markey continue to remain relevant?

In an era when Joe Biden was forced out of the presidential race because of his age and concerns about his mental acuity, it’s surprising Markey may get essentially a free pass.

The Malden Democrat is still sharp but was elected to the Senate in 2013 and started in Congress as a House member way back in 1976, when Jimmy Carter was elected president, “Silly Love Songs” by Wings was the number one song and Chimpanzees were declared an endangered species.

And speaking of endangered species, can Markey – a white, straight elderly male – survive for another six-year term, at the end of which he’ll be 86?.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has railed against the “gerontocracy” that runs the government, and Markey certainly qualifies as part of that.

She was talking about 67-year-old Andrew Cuomo, who is running for New York City mayor, but she also has expanded her criticism to other politicians who cling to power despite their advancing age.

“In a world and a nation that is crying to end the gerontocracy of our leadership, that wants to see a new day, that wants to see a new generation ascend, it is unconscionable to send Andrew Cuomo to Gracie Mansion,” she said, referring to New York City’s mayoral residency.

“When I say this is not just about New York City, but that this is about the United States, I mean that literally because Andrew Cuomo has made clear that if he wins the race, he wants to run for president of the United States,” she added.

“We can never get past Donald Trump if we continue to elect the same people and make the same decisions that got us here in the first place.”

Another prominent young Democrat, David Hogg, who just stepped down from his position as co-vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, is also leading a movement to replace the old guard with younger candidates.

Hogg’s organization, Leaders We Deserve, has vowed to spend millions of dollars to try and defeat House Democratic incumbents to bring about generational change to the party.

While Hogg has not targeted Markey, his Senate seat is a coveted plum position that many younger Democrats would love to take over.

There are numerous Massachusetts Democrats who could have their eye on the Senate, including Gov. Maura Healey and Rep. Ayanna Pressley just to name a few.

Markey would seem ripe for a challenge, but has vowed to run for another term, and so far has survived one tough primary – beating a Kennedy to boot.

So far the only Democratic challenger to announce a Senate bid is an unknown, 38-year-old Alex Rikleen, a fantasy sports writer and college professor.

In Rikleen’s fantasy world, he may dream of beating Markey, but that seems far-fetched now.

Another possible candidate is another unknown, Earl Martin Phalen, a nonprofit organizer who has launched an exploratory committee.

There’s still time for a more prominent Democrat to get into the race, but there are no rumblings yet that that will happen.