Massachusetts Rep. Kennedy announces Democratic primary challenge to Sen. Markey
Source: Washington Post
Rep. Joe Kennedy, the latest generation of a famous political family, announced Saturday that he would challenge Sen. Edward J. Markey in Massachusettss Democratic primary, a bid certain to divide the party in the state and in Washington.
Ahead of a rally here, Kennedy emailed supporters a video officially declaring his candidacy.
Since Donald Trumps election, I have had countless conversations with my constituents. Ive told them not to give up. I have implored them to do more. I have begged them to reach deeper, fight harder, put more on the line because everything we believe in is at stake, Kennedy writes in the email. Im running for Senate to do the same.
Kennedy mentions the need for a new generation to take on outdated structures and old rules, an implicit nod to the decades that separate him and his opponent.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/massachusetts-rep-kennedy-announces-democratic-primary-challenge-to-sen-markey/2019/09/21/7f40384c-dbef-11e9-bfb1-849887369476_story.html
Bayard
(22,004 posts)Seems fitting. I hope he does his family proud.
VarryOn
(2,343 posts)It should be against the law for him to use the Kennedy name!
DownriverDem
(6,226 posts)Sen. Markey? I hate to see us eating our own.
kwolf68
(7,365 posts)Senator Markey is a solid work horse.
OnDoutside
(19,945 posts)George II
(67,782 posts)OnDoutside
(19,945 posts)slumcamper
(1,604 posts)A man who wants government to rethink child vaccination laws and ordinances is challenging a good and qualified Democratic for his own gain.
He may be a Kennedy but hes a long way from Jack or Ted.
nsd
(2,406 posts)RFK Jr is the vaccination one.
MBS
(9,688 posts)comradebillyboy
(10,128 posts)pretty wild ideas and has been denounced by his own family members for his anti-vaxx views but I hadn't heard anything like that about young Joe.
lostnfound
(16,161 posts)CountAllVotes
(20,864 posts)Go Joe!!!!!!!
a kennedy
(29,606 posts)Robert Kennedy Jr. is the vaccination kennedy, NOT Joe.
Rebl2
(13,447 posts)RhodeIslandOne
(5,042 posts)Not the same Kennedy.
Rebl2
(13,447 posts)Thanks for the info
Tactical Peek
(1,207 posts)That's if I'm thinking of the right one, there are so many it gets confusing.
Iirc, he voted against a bill to get the DEA off the backs of young children suffering seizure disorders who got relief (only!) from non-psychoactive extracts of cannabis. If that was any indication, he does not think things out very well, in my opinion.
Maybe he should be the one getting primaried by a D who can do the right thing.
ancianita
(35,926 posts)That's too bad. But Markey's always been bad (IMHO) on the issue.
Thanx for the sourcing!
ancianita
(35,926 posts)state, and Markey's got the longer vote record.
NH is #1 on gun manufacturing (since the Revolution); both top gun manufacturing states have the strictest gun control laws and the low rates of death by shooting. Just a factoid.
Skittles
(153,104 posts)please delete
CentralMass
(15,265 posts)not fooled
(5,801 posts)I think he's making a mistake.
Moostache
(9,895 posts)He is an incredibly impressive man and this is a good thing for the party long term.
TeamPooka
(24,204 posts)he should go beat a sitting republican if he wants my respect or future support.
Doing it this way and I'll put him in my Kristen Gillibrand category of people I won't support as they try to move up.
patphil
(6,144 posts)He's not going to endear himself to the party faithful across the nation by doing this.
Especially if the resulting primary battle results in a Republican getting the seat.
Joe should be patient and keep his current seat in the House (Mass. 4th district).
He's going to be 39 in October, so he has plenty of time to work his way up into the national scene.
Patrick Phillips
ritapria
(1,812 posts)There is a good chance Elizabeth Warren will be elected President ...Then he could have challenged the appointed Senator selected by Charlie Baker
BlueStater
(7,596 posts)Last edited Sat Sep 21, 2019, 12:03 PM - Edit history (1)
He's 73 now and will be 80 at the end of another term. Who knows how much longer his "turn" will last. They're not retiring as young as they used to. Dianne Feinstein was just elected to another term at 85.
I have no problem with this.
not_the_one
(2,227 posts)I want it to be obvious that the ONLY political dynasty America will ever have, is the Kennedys, because they have done the work and paid the price
A side benefit will be watching the russiapublican's heads explode, as the have the ultimate meltdown.
They hold up the Bushs and the Trumps (excuse me, I meant Turds) as our dynasty?
I scoff.
virgogal
(10,178 posts)inherited money and a famous name,Markey came up the hard way.Markey will get my vote.
Midwestern Democrat
(806 posts)But today, when the entire House leadership is either at or almost 80 years old, when Dianne Feinstein runs for another term at 85 (in a huge safely Democratic state where many Democratic officeholders have been waiting for years for a Senate seat to open up), when many (including myself) think that the only Democrat in the country who can beat Donald Trump is a 76 year old man - then IMO, the party definitely needs more "young men in a hurry" not fewer of them.
Raven
(13,877 posts)remains productive and there is nothing to show that he is not still producive both for his constituents and the country.
BlueStater
(7,596 posts)Until then, Kennedy has every right to challenge him for the seat.
Raven
(13,877 posts)BlueStater
(7,596 posts)People can constantly attack Kennedy as an opportunistic young upstart who should wait his "turn", but suggest that maybe Markey shouldn't just be entitled to the seat until whenever he decides to retire and suddenly it's "Boo hoo, stop picking on him. He's old."
BlueStater
(7,596 posts)I don't live in Massachusetts and am not planning on sending money to either Kennedy or Markey. I would be fine if either of them won, but the attacks on Kennedy are annoying. If he's arrogant and entitled for challenging Markey, then Markey is just as arrogant and entitled for thinking he owns his seat for as long as he decides not to retire.
VarryOn
(2,343 posts)Thus, probably a big reason to stick around.
Plus, you're paid decently, have little accountability for bad decisions, and people powder your ass everywhere you go. And, it's hard to get fired!
Now that I think about it, maybe I should run!
George II
(67,782 posts)GeorgeGist
(25,311 posts)bluedigger
(17,085 posts)His energy would be better spent pursuing leadership positions in Congress to satisfy his ambitions until an opening makes itself available.
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(107,711 posts)bucolic_frolic
(43,027 posts)for "out over his skis"
Polybius
(15,331 posts)We've been doing it for 200 years. When you against David Dinkins beating Ed Koch in the 1989 NYC primary?
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(107,711 posts)Polybius
(15,331 posts)But all you said was "Challenging an incumbent Democrat." You should have said "Challenging a good incumbent Democrat."
Now roll your eyes back into your head, we're not all mind-readers here.
MurrayDelph
(5,291 posts)he should work to get Elizabeth Warren elected, and then the governor could appoint him to fill the vacancy.
patphil
(6,144 posts)But he could win in a special election afterwards.
patphil
(6,144 posts)The governor can appoint someone to fill the opening, but there must be a special election within 145-160 days to elect someone to fill the remainder of the term.
Elizabeth Warren's seat would be up in 2022.
So, if EW got on the ticket, and resigned after the convention on July 17th, a special election would have to be held before the end of the year.
As early as December 9th, but no later than December 24th.
So, assuming a Democrat won the special election, it wouldn't adversely affect the Senate structure for the new congress coming in in January.
Whew! Dodged that bullet.
Patrick Phillips
TeamPooka
(24,204 posts)to advance his own career.
Fuck that shit.
CBHagman
(16,980 posts)...and what it might mean in terms of the Senate, the presidency, and the Democratic Party.
This primary attempt might not be sending the message Kennedy claims it is. There is an inescapable whiff of entitlement about any variation on the political dynasty, the sense that money, name, and connections vanquish the less flashy business of day-to-day life as a lawmaker.
And then there's the matter of partisanship. The current state of things didn't happen overnight, and for the duration it's a numbers game. Any self-wounding or bad blood is not advisable just now.
And don't get me started on how things work, or what age may or may not have to do with it.
Fan of Da Bearse
(75 posts)Joe has time to wait. And this is the worst possible time for internecine fighting!
VarryOn
(2,343 posts)Markey is 73 and been there long enough. Hes not entitled to that seat.
pnwpolicy
(32 posts)This just reeks of entitlement and will shift the Senate Dems further right.
VarryOn
(2,343 posts)but, Ive followed Kennedy's career with interest since he took the great Barney Frank's seat. He comes across as quite likeable and genuine. And look at his resume...Harvard, Stanfors, Peace Corp, Asst DA, Congress, etc. He's got the pedigree and a wife and two kids. And he's liberal.
A term or two in the US Senate and he'd be an ideal presidential candidate. I think the Kennedy name would play well across the country.
And I'm not worried about the party moving right.
Bradical79
(4,490 posts)maybe not focus on the name of a political dynasty in the same post? What's more important is whether Kennedy would be a better Senator than Markey, not his name.
VarryOn
(2,343 posts)Certainly, neither is entitled. My post was prompted by a couple by a couple others that said Kennedy should wait his turn, meaning Markey should retain the post until such time as he reliqushed it. He's an ok Senator, albeit with an unremarkable career. Definitely upgradeable.
Kennedy isnt entitled to any seat, either. His name, however, has currency. I'm impressed with him and was just thinking long-term should he have national aspirations. I think his last name would help. However, he's worked hard to prove himself.
Indykatie
(3,695 posts)He may win the nomination and the seat but that success may come back to haunt him when he pursues his next job on his career path, POTUS. Have we ever had a successful primary challenge to a sitting Senator in a safe Blue state?
5starlib
(191 posts)He lost, but you can't say it hurt him. He became a legend.
crazytown
(7,277 posts)BlueStater
(7,596 posts)You can't compare a presidential election to a senate race in a solidly blue state.
UniteFightBack
(8,231 posts)samnsara
(17,604 posts)RhodeIslandOne
(5,042 posts)Bad move.
summer_in_TX
(2,705 posts)So it appears Kennedy is running to the right of Markey on that issue. Not a good look.
I think many of us have a Camelot affection for the Kennedy family and have dreams invested in them.The family name gives them a cachet that gets them in the door with us. But primarying a progressive fellow Dem is not my idea of action that makes me want to run out and blindly support him.