Read on Twitter
Polls close in an hour! If you're watching the Massachusetts primary tonight, here's a thread of POLITICO coverage of the blockbuster U.S. Senate race between Ed Markey and Joe Kennedy.
Massachusetts got its first whiff of this primary last July, when a mysterious telephone poll tested Markey and Kennedy in a head-to-head matchup. (Good sources are worth their weight in gold, btw!) https://twitter.com/stephanie_murr/status/1155501134880133121
But this didn't start with Kennedy. After Ayanna Pressley’s shock primary victory, restive progressives had their eyes on the Democratic establishment, forcing a handful of veteran incumbents to keep a close eye on their left flank. That included Markey. https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/02/ed-markey-massachusetts-senate-seat-election-1394432
Markey already had two lesser-known challengers before Kennedy entered the race. Many saw him as ripe for a primary challenge because his favorability rating and name ID were low. Voters didn't dislike him, he just existed in the shadow of bigger-name Dems like Warren, Kerry etc.
After the mystery poll came a grassroots group to draft Kennedy into the race, complete w/ a website, FB group & petition.
Dems in Kennedy's House district - Treasurer Deb Goldberg and Jesse Mermell - were already making calls in case his seat opened up. https://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/16/joe-kennedy-senate-ed-markey-1466830
Dems in Kennedy's House district - Treasurer Deb Goldberg and Jesse Mermell - were already making calls in case his seat opened up. https://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/16/joe-kennedy-senate-ed-markey-1466830
One possibility that was making the rounds in state political circles at that time: The draft-Kennedy push could have been designed to nudge Markey to retire rather than risk seeing his political career end in a primary defeat.
Some Washington colleagues urged Kennedy not to run “That kind of intraparty fighting is not good in the long term. And I don’t think it will be good for Joe Kennedy,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) told @burgessev and @heatherscope. https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/11/joe-kennedy-ed-markey-challenge-1491098
He hadn't entered the race, but Kennedy already had an edge. Polls showed him with a double-digit lead over Markey.
"I hear the folks who say I should wait my turn, but with due respect — I'm not sure this is a moment for waiting," Kennedy said. https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/14/kennedy-markey-massachusetts-senate-1496168
"I hear the folks who say I should wait my turn, but with due respect — I'm not sure this is a moment for waiting," Kennedy said. https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/14/kennedy-markey-massachusetts-senate-1496168
Kennedy launched his campaign in September. His strategy focused less on winning over activists & establishment leaders and more on turning out new voters — particularly immigrants and people of color — who typically vote at lower rates than white voters. https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/21/ed-markey-joe-kennedy-senate-seat-clash-1507045
This placed Elizabeth Warren right in the middle: "You can ask this 400 different ways and you're going to get the same answer. I've endorsed Sen. Markey, I am friends with Congressman Kennedy and with Sen. Markey. That's what I have to say." https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/19/elizabeth-warren-joe-kennedy-ed-markey-1505999
Behind in the polls, Markey started campaigning more like a scrappy long shot than an incumbent at the tail end of a long career.
"I've known Ed Markey for a long time. When he gets his Irish up, this is the Ed Markey you're going to see," said a source. https://www.politico.com/news/2019/09/29/ed-markey-joe-kennedy-massachusetts-senate-race-008599
"I've known Ed Markey for a long time. When he gets his Irish up, this is the Ed Markey you're going to see," said a source. https://www.politico.com/news/2019/09/29/ed-markey-joe-kennedy-massachusetts-senate-race-008599
A global pandemic isn't the kind of thing you plan for when you launch a primary campaign. But Covid-19 knocked both candidates off the trail and onto the World Wide Web. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/12/boston-coronavirus-cluster-campaigning-126028
