Congressman Joe Kennedy is considering a primary challenge next year against Sen. Edward J. Markey, according to the New York Times.
There’s even a grassroots website and Facebook page called “Jump in Joe”
NY TIMES: Kennedy considering run against Markey for US Senate
by village14 | Aug 17, 2019 | Newton | 40 comments
Kennedy would be a shoo-in should he decide to chase upward mobility. And of course a Senate run would leave his current Congressional seat open. Newton is by far the largest municipality in the district. So who from Newton would run? Setti Warren? Jake Auchincloss? Both? How about Greg Reibman? The possibilities are endless. Such unanticipated fun for political junkies!
Same lunacy, only the new one would be younger!
Makes sense for him and he will probably win. And I don’t think the senate will be his final stop.
Newtoner, maybe makes sense for him, but not necessarily for America as Joe essentially favors open borders coupled with both full welfare benefits and medicare for all illegal entrants, defrayed by existing citizen taxpayers.
@Jim Epstein: Are you part of Donald Trump’s Twitter team by any chance?
We have bigger fish to fry and Rep. Kennedy should be part of that effort.
Newtoner, why don’t you, OR ANYBODY READING THIS, address my point, rather than raising diversion (endeavoring to be humorous) — as those with no SUBSTANTIVE criticism regularly do.
Jane, are you referring to having “bigger fish to fry” than addressing open borders with full welfare benefits and medicare for all illegal entrants (which Joe advocates)? Or something else?
If “Joe essentially favors open borders coupled with both full welfare benefits and medicare for all illegal entrants,” then he certainly has my vote! (also if it’s open borders, they’re not illegal entrants)
Jim, I can’t tell for sure if you’re joking (I think you are).
Markey will get my vote. Joe is now a Corporate Dem (not a compliment, BTW). Grassroots is the last term I would associate with him.
If his name were Joseph Moore, his candidacy would be a joke.
This family of moronic clowns has set back the progressive movement by several decades and epitomize all that is wrong with the alleged meritocracy.
One beef I have with Kennedy is he still hasn’t signed on to HR #2407 (no US $$ for ANY country that supports military detention and abuse of kids).
:(
Ed Markey is a brilliant man and outstanding senator who represents the Commonwealth with both compassion and common sense. I can’t see any good reason for a Democrat to challenge him. Republicans, of course, hold some different beliefs, and thus their challenge makes sense. But Ed Markey’s positions lie in the mainstream of the Massachusetts Democratic party, in my view.
Though I respect representative Kennedy, I don’t buy into the whole Camelot business at all. I’m for Ed Markey for senator, for what it’s worth.
I like Joe, but why challenge Markey?
“Ed Markey is a brilliant man”
ROFL
This will open up Kennedy’s Congressional seat. I agree both Setti Warren and Greg Reibman will consider runs. Probably Steve Grossman would be the strongest candidate.
Kennedy made a lot of enemies early on with his opposition to cannabis reform and support of the NSA spying on American citizens. He’s since modified his positions on both. I don’t view Congressman Kennedy as a “progressive,” which is how the NY Times described him. I view him as a moderate who goes where the wind blows. I think Kennedy would be a fool to challenge Markey… and he doesn’t strike me as a foolish guy.
Greg Reibman ??? When has Greg shown any interest in running for public office?
April of 2017
For Kennedy, I think the timing could not be better. As a relative newcomer with an historic name (as well as prosecutorial work experience before politics), he has the resume, the chops and the fundraising ability to beat a 30+ year incumbent. I think the primary is a toss up if Kennedy runs. If he does not run now, and waits until a vacancy (e.g. a Warren or Markey retirement, or a Warren presidential victory or cabinet appointment), he’s likely to face a field of would-be primary challengers (e.g. Maura Healy, Katherine Clark, Ayanna Pressley, etc.), and the winner of that primary may only need 20-25% of the vote to get to the general election. If Joe wants to be a Senator, now might be his best opportunity.
If Joe Kennedy III runs against Markey, not only does he win, but it would be the first time that a Kennedy offspring is definitely smarter than the opponent.
Greg’s pro-development stance will provide him a fundraising apparatus second to none. Reibman will be a formidable candidate to succeed Joe Kennedy. Word is he’s currently polling.
Peter, why don’t you offer to run Greg’s campaign???
@Greg Reibman – How did I ever forget your dazzling run for mayor?
Probably because it was short lived. My proposal to drain Crystal Lake and build a multi-generational community center there didn’t test well.
A JK3 2020 run for Senate would be an unconscionably selfish act. The MA Democratic Party’s energy – and Joe’s – should be focused on helping flip Susan Collins’ seat in Maine and protecting Jeanne Shaheen’s seat in New Hampshire, not contesting a safe seat in MA when Joe is already in Congress. If we don’t flip the Senate in 2020, the GOP retains its hold on the Supreme Court, and nothing substantive gets done on the climate at the federal level for another two years. That’s pretty close to game over for the planet and my kids’ future. I was part of the Mass Dems’ GOTV effort in New Hampshire in 2018 and it is safe to say that without that full effort, Maggie Hassan would not have won by the slim 1,000 vote margin that she did. This is lunacy, and to any Dem promoting this idea: You need to should check your white suburban privilege and shut up RIGHT NOW. And Joe, consider your little trial balloon shot full of lead.
Ralph, “game over for the planet and my kids’ future”?
Let’s revisit this, say, in 2024 at the end of Trump’s second term.
Ah, Jim Epstein, Village 14’s own little Trumper troll. Sorry Jim, this is a conversation for the grownups. No time to engage.
Agree with Ralph Ranalli that primary fights among Democrats should be put on the back burner so that every available resource (financial and otherwise) is put to work nationally seizing the White House, retaking the Senate, holding the house and capturing state legislatures and executive offices in as many states as possible. I also wish that Beto O’ Rourke and Steve Bullock would drop their presidential campaigns and go back to Texas and Montana for Senate runs.
It’s a novel idea these days, but there are times when leaders have to put the national interest over their personal political preferences. This is one such time. The last leader that did this was Adlai Stevenson , the highly successful and highly regarded governor of Illinois. He was running for a second term as governor and the last thing he wanted to do was be the Democratic nominee for President in 1952. He reluctantly agreed to the nomination when he became convinced that he would be the strongest candidate against Eisenhower. He lost, but his ideas and platform became the blueprint for both the New Frontier and Great Society programs. He’s also the political figure I have used to measure every subsequent presidential candidate. Almost all have come up far short of Stevenson, the current occupant of the White House being the shortest short of them all.
Cute Ralph, but completely lacking in substance.
Do you really believe that it will be “game over for the planet and [your] kids’ future” — or “pretty close” to that — if the GOP retains the Senate?
(Commentators or critics such as you regularly jump to intended personal insults — “little Trumper troll”, “this is a conversation for the grownups” — and then conclude with something like “no time to engage” to shut off discussion (which you raised) precisely because there either is no substance to what you say or no substantive way to counter.)
@ Tom Sheff- I have a full time job so I will not be joining Greg’s campaign in any role other than advisory.
I have heard from reliable Democratic insiders that Joe is going to challenge Markey. Newton Dems will have to choose and I believe they will go with Joe.
Contested elections are a good thing. This, includes primary elections. Otherwise, our political process loses all accountability .
Ed Markey already has two Democratic opponents, so he faces a primary whether Kennedy runs or not. Joe III strikes me as level-headed and conscientious, but he also seems young for his years, and he’s in no danger of making me forget that I used to be represented by Barney Frank and Robert Drinan. Markey is a good man and a good Democrat. Asking him or any Senate candidate to make that case for himself every six years isn’t a burden. It’s part of the job.
All you “it’s the democratic process” folks are completely missing the point. It’s not that Joe or anyone else doesn’t have the right to run for anything they want at any time. Of course they do. The point is that this is a pivotal election – perhaps THE pivotal election of all our our lives. And Joe vs Ed would drain off pivotal financial and human resources that we desperately need to apply to nearby places (ME and NH) where Democrats can flip the Senate. The outcome of this election is going to drastically affect brown people, black people, Jewish people, Muslim people, immigrants, poor people, working people, young people who want a stable planet, etc. Maybe you’re none of those people. But if you’re not, and you’re sitting in your comfy suburban home surrounded by your possessions and your privilege, instead of thinking “gee it would be neat if another Kennedy was in the Senate” perhaps instead you could consider thinking about someone besides yourself.
Ralph is right.
I still think Democrats can walk and chew gum at the same time.
Ralph R. , you say that the upcoming elections will drastically affect Jewish people, but since the Democrat House has been siding with its anti-semitic anti-Israel members, it would seem the Democrat pick up of the Senate would only make matters drastically worse for Jewish people.
(Ralph, if you do elect to reply, please omit personal insults this time and stick to substance. Thanks.)
Great post, Ralph. Powerful and to the point.
Go Ralph!!! With that passion, you need to be a speech writer!!!