Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-MA) announced his bid for the Senate seat now held by fellow Dem Sen. Ed Markey, setting up a primary challenge for progressive lion Markey. While Kennedy has the right to run for the occupied seat against a fellow Dem who has strong progressive credentials (especially when it comes to climate change), he will end up weakening the eventual Dem candidate in 2020 and siphoning off funds needed to keep the Massachusetts Senate seat in Dem hands.
Kennedy, the grandson of Robert Kennedy, is focusing his campaign on a "new generation" theme aimed at sweeping away "outdated structures and old rules," according to an email sent to supporters. The reaction to him challenging a solid Dem Senator has been decidedly mixed:
"However, some in Massachusetts and the national Democratic Party see his candidacy as damaging. They argue: Why challenge a successful Democrat with nearly identical policy positions at a time when the real focus needs to be on defeating Republicans. [snip]
Environmental activists in particular seemed upset by Kennedy’s decision because Markey has long championed issues they care about and has co-sponsored the Green New Deal, legislation that would address climate change and economic inequality."The answer seems to be ambition for the 38 year-old Kennedy, and again we don't begrudge him his right to run. At the end of the 6-year term starting in 2020, Kennedy would be 46 in 2026, while Markey would be 80 and likely set to retire. Why go through the disruption and damage of a primary when there's virtually no ideological difference between the two, when 2026 is doable for a young Kennedy to wait his turn?
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