Washington, Sep 2 (IANS): Progressive Democrat Ed Markey, who advocates combating climate change and passing the Green New Deal, defeated the party's House Representative Joe Kennedy III in the Massachusetts Senate primary.

"Tonight is more than just a celebration of a movement. It is a real reaffirmation of the need to have a movement, a progressive movement of young people demanding radical change, demanding justice," Xinhua news agency quoted Markey as saying to supporters in his hometown of Malden on Tuesday night.

The 74-year-old Senator's campaign slogan read: "It's not your age -- it's the age of your ideas that's important."

His rival Kennedy III is 39 years old.

Regarding the Green New Deal, Markey said: "This is a matter of life and death. The very future of our civilization depends on it.

Turning his attention to the November 3 election, he said: "Priority number one is to move (President) Donald Trump from the White House. We must banish his agenda of division and destruction to the history books."

Markey's primary win paves the way for his expected re-election in November against Republican Kevin O'Connor, The Hill new website reported.

The result marked the first loss by a member of the Kennedy family in a Massachusetts election.

Kennedy called Markey to concede on Tuesday evening.

"No matter the results tonight, I would do this again with all of you in a heartbeat," Kennedy told supporters later.

"We may have lost the final vote tonight, but we have built a coalition that will endure."