Ed Markey was born on July 11, 1946, in Malden, Massachusetts, the son of Irish Catholic working-class parents. He earned his bachelor's degree and J.D. from Boston College in 1968 and 1972 respectively, and served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1968 to 1973. Markey served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1973 to 1976, then represented Massachusetts's 7th congressional district in the U.S. House for 37 years (1976-2013), making him the longest-tenured House member ever elected to the Senate. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in a 2013 special election following John Kerry's appointment as Secretary of State, defeating Stephen Lynch in the Democratic primary and Gabriel Gomez in the general election. He was elected to a full term in 2014 and re-elected in 2020 with 66.2% of the vote, making him one of the most successful Democratic politicians in Massachusetts history.

Markey is widely recognized as a leading progressive voice in the Senate. He is the Senate author of the Green New Deal and has focused his legislative agenda on climate change, environmental protection, consumer protection (particularly net neutrality), healthcare access, LGBTQ+ equality, and working family issues. He chairs or sits on committees focused on commerce, science and transportation; environment and public works; and foreign relations. In 2025, he received a score of 100 from the Humane World Action Fund for his support of animal protection issues.