Democratic Rep. Joe Kennedy is rumored to be considering running for Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey’s seat in 2020.
While he has previously said that he would entertain the idea of running for the Senate in the event a seat opened up, a number of loyal grassroots supporters have urged him to challenge Markey this time around.
Earlier this week, a grassroots group in favor of Kennedy, the “Jump in, Joe!” group, formed by members of Kennedy’s Boston Pride Parade Committee launched a website, a Facebook group that now has over 600 members and a petition that has more than 160 signatures.
“Congressman Kennedy is humbled by the support of so many folks in Massachusetts. As he has said, he is running for reelection in the 4th District,” Kennedy spokesperson Emily Kaufman told POLITICO in a statement.
Markey has not backed down when asked about the rumors.
“Senator Markey is running for reelection no matter who enters the race. He is crisscrossing the state and will run his campaign hard every day,” Markey spokesperson Giselle Barry said in a statement.
The other Massachusetts Senate seat is held by 2020 presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren. She would be forced to vacate her seat in the event she won the presidential election.
Warren stuck by her endorsement of Markey despite the rumored primary challenge, but maintained on Saturday that she likes Kennedy, as well. “I endorsed Ed Markey six months ago, seven months ago,” Warren said to reporters in Aiken, South Carolina. “Eddie has been a great partner in the Senate.” Warren also said Kennedy is “an amazing person.”
