Now, many House legislators are adamant on demands that they move forward with an democratically controlled and ambitious agenda in Washington Washington or face a second wave of primaries. Some of them may retire or, Joseph R. Biden Jr. will receive the presidency, accepting positions of administration instead of re-election.
Still, others will surely try to imitate Mr. Markey, who succeeded the new activism through the left-wing channel. First elected to the House in 1976, he has a fairly credible liberal vote in the House and Senate, where John F. Kerry moved in 2013 after becoming Secretary of State.
Mr. Markey was never identified as a progressive warrior and gave a handful of votes – including the 1990 Crimes Bill and the Iraq War – to the left of today’s movement.
Nevertheless, he has played a leadership role on environmental and technological issues, and he is probably his most important supporter: Ms. Paired with Occasio-Cortez. His co-author of the Green New Deal offered Mr. Markey access not only to his support but also to a new generation of environmental activists. He captured early support for the environmental activist group, the Sunrise Movement, and formed a strong coalition among young progressives.
“If we’re going to build a planet for people of my generation to live on, we need someone like Senator Markey,” said Lindsay Aldworth, 29, who was active with the Sunrise Movement at College Ledge and attended Mr. Markey’s rally. Last two weeks New Bedford, Mass.
That enthusiasm frustrated Mr. Kennedy, who was counting on winning the votes of young voters. He believes many white liberal voters in the state did not hold Mr. Markey accountable for some of his earlier tendencies, including his long-standing opposition to the integration of Boston’s public schools, which he did to Mr. Biden.
Mr. Kennedy, however, formed his own coalition of support by gaining the support of a large number of people of color and working class on ethnic lines.
