Markey’s once inadequate approval rating and name ID helped explain why two lesser-known Democrats – Shannon Liss-Riordan and Steve Pemberton – launched primary challenges for the low key. But they dropped out when Kennedy, the heir to the state’s most famous political dynasty, entered the contest in September. Kennedy immediately bounced to an early lead: A Boston Globe / Suffolk University interview showed him with a 14-point lead over Markey even before he officially announced his campaign.
But writing the Green New Deal earned Markey the very public support of the New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – the leading millennial of the Democratic Party. Ocasio-Cortez cut a television ad for Markey in late July, and the campaign has raised more than $ 240,000 to air it.
Markey also has the support of another of the party’s leading liberals, sen. Elizabeth Warren – the presidential primary policy winner of 2020. Warren, the state senator, has sent fundraising emails to Markey, but is close with Kennedy and has remained relatively quiet during the primary. .
Markey’s campaign has made its policy record central to its bid. The lawmaker, who was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1976, is working on the 1996 Telecommunications Act, the Waxman-Markey Climate Bill, which passed the House in 2009, and a host of other issues. .
“I could go on and on because I have more than 500 laws that are on the books,” Markey said during a recent interview on the podcast “Lovett or Leave It.”
Markey’s decades-long record also provided an opportunity for his rival on September 1st. The Kennedy campaign defeated Markey on his vote for the war in Iraq, his vote for the 1994 criminal law, and his past opposition to abortion.
More recently, Kennedy Markey has hammered for no more action to support the family of Danroy “DJ” Henry Jr., an Easton, Mass., Landowner who was killed in police raids in 2010. Henry’s family is urging the Department of Justice to reopen its case in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis.
Henry’s father, Danroy Henry, left a video saying he felt fired by Markey when he asked his son for help after the death. In 2015, Kennedy brought his parents as his guests to the State of the Union.
But from the outset, Kennedy failed to establish a clear reason for voters to dismiss Markey, some Kennedy supporters noted.
After spending $ 2.4 million this spring on TV commercials, the congressman replaced his ad adviser with Tad Devine in July. Devine is an all-time Kennedy ally, known for producing award-winning television commercials for the late Senator Ted Kennedy, the great uncle of the congressman.
Allies express concern that Kennedy’s campaign is getting worse – not better. Even after a strong debate last month, a series of campaign gifts shed light on Kennedy’s message and put it on its head.
In the hours leading up to the debate in July, Kennedy’s campaign sought to underscore his theme that Markey was not spending enough time in the state by sending a memo to reporters suggesting the senator was so out of touch that he was not familiar with the state map. But the Kennedy campaign made a embarrassing mistake: They barked at Markey for leaving three cities off his website without realizing that those cities were flooded to create a reservoir in the 1930s. The map error went viral, and subsided. the front page of the Boston Herald.
The next day, the Boston Globe ran a story that showed, based on travel records, that Markey in Massachusetts is less than one member of the state congressional delegation. But that report – which underscored an important Kennedy argument – was blunted when the editors of the Globe Markey signed it in the same edition of the paper. The Kennedy campaign penned another memo, this time to supporters of the campaign, and jumped to the Globe for protecting the status quo for its “disproportionately white, well-off, well-educated readers.”
Kennedy allies who spoke with POLITICO expressed frustration that the letter simply paid more attention to the Globe endorsement – and buried the story of Markey’s travel records.
Kennedy’s campaign backfired on allegations that he had lost his broad polling margin. They conquered early internal interviews never showed him with such a broad lead over Markey.
It’s hard to know who’s ahead in the race – there’s a public poll in Massachusetts, where the Globe and other stores have gathered resources for interviews related to Covid-19 and police brutality, instead of a First Chamber contest where the seat is everything – sure to stay in Democratic hands in November.
A late July poll by Louisiana pollster JMC Analytics showed Markey with a lead within the margin of error; both campaigns recognize a tight race and are currently giving Kennedy the lead.
With voters already voting for the Sept. 1 primary as part of the state-run coronavirus-inspired vote by mail program, both candidates have limited time to make their case.
Over there is one debate about on the calendar before the end of the month, but money outside may seem just as important as the face-to-face meetings.
Climate groups with one issue – including the Environment America Action Fund and another super PAC called United for Massachusetts – have spent nearly $ 3 million promoting Markey’s campaign.
A pro-Kennedy group called New Leadership PAC has set aside $ 2.5 million in television commercials, according to the Globe. Members of the Kennedy family are calling for fundraising for the cause, including his twin brother.
“They would not do that if they did not see in their own election that the race went to Markey or within the margin of error,” Paleologos said. “Kennedy will have to make the decision, ‘Am I going to be negative about Markey?'”
And he has. The pro-Kennedy super PAC has just started airing attack ad against Markey, who is voting on points he missed in the Senate. The Kennedy campaign also has a online-only advertising with a trade unionist dressed as Markey, marched around Markey’s hometown of Malden and criticized him for eliminating trade unions through the Telecommunications Act.
With the race in the home region, many in state political circles are wondering whether Kennedy’s father, former Rep. Joe Kennedy II, the $ 2.8 million in his now-missing campaign account could move to the First Chamber bid. The super PAC will first submit a new revelation after the primary again.
“I’m sure your dad is watching right now. Tell your dad right now that you do not want money in a super PAC running negative ads,” Markey said in her most recent debate. “Just tell your twin brother and tell your dad you do not want money spent on negative advertising in Massachusetts.”
“I’ve said that several times,” Kennedy replied.
“Did your father say that?” Markey struck back.
Even with an infusion of extra funds, Kennedy allies worry that time is running out for Congressman to sharpen his message.
“All serious campaigns are about enjoying the good days and surviving the bad,” said political consultant Michael Goldman, who is neutral in the primary race but worked for Kennedy’s father. “Anyone who did not think this race would have its ups and downs does not understand the dynamics of Massachusetts politics.”
