Democratic Rep. Joe Kennedy III of Massachusetts is challenging MA Democratic Senator Ed Markey for the United States Senate seat he has occupied since 2013.
Markey has the backing of many established figures in the party, but Kennedy has opened a lead according to a new poll.
Victoria McGrane reports at the Boston Globe:
Kennedy holds narrow lead over Markey in Senate race, new Suffolk/Globe poll findsFive months into his audacious primary challenge against a seasoned incumbent, Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III is leading Senator Edward J. Markey in the Democratic contest for Senate, according to a new Suffolk University/Boston Globe/WBZ-TV poll of likely voters in the Sept. 1 primary.The survey found Kennedy ahead of Markey 42 percent to 36 percent, a difference that is within the poll’s margin of error. The race has tightened since Kennedy first decided to mount his bid: A Suffolk/Globe poll conducted just before Kennedy officially entered the race in September found the younger Democrat leading 42 to 28 percent over Markey in a head-to-head matchup.Markey has cut Kennedy’s lead in half, demonstrating that the incumbent “has a record and a personal history that have appeal,” said poll director David Paleologos.“He’s a tried and true person,” said Xia Rondeau, a 26-year-old Democrat from Cambridge who is leaning toward supporting Markey.But the survey had warning signs for Markey. After six-and-a-half years as a senator, and a cumulative 47 years as a Massachusetts elected official, he remains surprisingly undefined in the minds of many voters.
Markey has the same problem as many of the Democrats running for president in 2020. He is old, has been in Washington for a long time, and has little to show for it. His staff can undoubtedly point to a long list of his accomplishments, but most average voters wouldn’t be able to name them.
Other than his name, Kennedy has the advantage of youth in a party that is desperately seeking new people to put on their bench of upcoming candidates for office.
It’s probably safe to assume Kennedy has his eyes on a higher office than the United States Senate. Note the call to “fundamentally change” in this tweet. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
Markey is not giving up his position without a fight.
As a Massachusetts resident, I am not a fan of the politics of either of them, but I find Kennedy particularly annoying. I don’t believe he would even hold his current job, but for his last name.
During the 2016 election, I was one of the many Americans saying no more Clintons, no more Bushes. I believe the same rule applies to Kennedys.
I actually agree with a point Kennedy made in January when he suggested people shouldn’t be able to profit from politically connected family members. He should take his own advice.
A primary election on September 1st will decide the race between Markey and Kennedy. Then the November 3rd election will determine the race between one of them and the Republican nominee, most likely Shiva Ayyadurai or Kevin O’Connor.
Featured image via YouTube.
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