Rep. Joe Kennedy has launched a campaign to unseat incumbent Democratic Sen. Ed Markey.
Kennedy, 38, is part of the Kennedy political dynasty and is Robert F. Kennedy’s grandson. Markey, 73, is a staunch liberal and has served Massachusetts in Congress longer than Kennedy has been alive. The move sets up a tense generational battle between the two Democrats.
Along with the release of his first campaign video, Kennedy posted to Twitter that he is “all in” to beat Markey.
“This isn’t a time for waiting, for sitting on the sidelines, or for playing by rules that don’t work anymore. This is the fight of our lives, the fight of my generation,” the congressman wrote.
Big news: I’m running for US Senate. This isn’t a time for waiting, for sitting on the sidelines, or for playing by rules that don’t work anymore. This is the fight of our lives, the fight of my generation — and I’m all in. I hope you’ll join me at https://t.co/7zwvI9aujq pic.twitter.com/WVkNLwCJbg
— Joe Kennedy (@joekennedy) September 21, 2019
The video takes a bird’s eye view of politics and begins by targeting President Trump before expounding on points like the economy, civil rights, healthcare, immigration, and tackling climate change.
“Donald Trump has forced a reckoning in America,” Kennedy says in the clip. “But meeting this moment requires more than just confronting him. We deserve leaders who will show up where we are, who aren’t afraid to break down an old system and build something better.”
Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 29, has already endorsed Markey. Markey was the lead sponsor of Ocasio-Cortez’s controversial Green New Deal plan, which initially lacked support on both sides of the political aisle.
“When I first got to Congress and we started to discuss big, bold plans — a solution on the scale of the crisis — many members shied away,” the New York congresswoman said. “A lot of people said we can’t do too much. We can’t go too fast in order to pursue change for the American people.”
“And Ed Markey was one of the few people that had the courage to stand up and take a chance,” she continued. “And take a chance on a freshman congresswoman. And take a chance on this plan.”
The Kennedys have represented Massachusetts in either the House or Senate for generations, with former President John F. Kennedy first elected to the Senate in 1952. Joe Kennedy has served in the House since 2013.
