It’s the smart move. U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss probably would have gotten mauled if he had challenged U.S. Sen. Ed Markey in the 2026 Dem primary election. This is Massachusetts. Progressives dominate the statewide  primary process here. Joe Kennedy III found that out the hard way in 2020. Nothing suggests that Auchincloss, a moderate liberal, would have fared any differently in 2026 – even with Markey turning a ripe 80 years old next year. It’s just the way it is in Massachusetts. And that’s why Auchincloss has decided to stay put in the U.S. House (assuming he wins reelection next year), as the Globe reports.. …

But what I find interesting is Auchincloss saying he’d rather focus more on his involvement with Majority Democrats, a new group of what sure sounds like young centrist Democrats who don’t want to call themselves centrist Democrats.* No matter how they define themselves, or refuse to define themselves, we can be pretty sure they’re obviously not like other young Dems who have embraced a 19^th Century movement and think it’s new. … We live in very strange times. …

Btw: The Globe’s Ideas Section this past week had an impressive package of what’s-next-for-Democrats pieces, such as these by David Sharfenberg and Robert Reich. As a centrist who’s more than a little frustrated with the far-left drift of the party, I obviously found these pieces by Yascha Mounk and Sabrina Joy Stevens most compelling. 

* Note: What is it with Auchincloss et gang and their almost impenetrable wonky language?

Update — Scott Van Voorhis has more on Auchincloss’s plans now that he’s ruled out a run against Markey — and they include pushing the idea for new cities. Yes, new ground-up cities. Scott explains.