In the end, she played it safe. U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley yesterday announced she won’t be challenging incumbent U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, but she sure made clear she was mighty tempted, as the Globe reports. … I definitely buy the family considerations cited by Pressley. But the Girl Scouts tale? Only partly. As she signed autographs, her thinking was probably more along the lines of: “God, I love this job and don’t want to risk it by running for the Senate.” … 

So now Hub Blog and other pundits can start peddling Pressley for Senate in 2030, when then octogenarian Elizabeth Warren’s term ends, or 2032, when then near-nonagenarian Markey’s likely next term ends, assuming he makes it that far and doesn’t decide to pull a Chuck Grassley. … Btw: Add Seth Moulton to those potential scenarios.

Update — 12.5.25 — GBH’s Adam Reilly looks at who may have benefited the most from Pressley’s decision – Markey or Moulton. My hunch is Markey, who can now count on overwhelming primary support from progressives.