Senate Democrats are nearly united in their opposition to Rep. Joe Kennedy's campaign to unseat Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., in a party primary, The Hill reported on Tuesday.
Markey has been in Congress since 1976, is considered a loyal party soldier, and has earned admiration for his dogged climb up the ladders of power.
Some Democratic senators are upset that the 39-year-old Kennedy, a House Democrat who entered the race on Sept. 21, is wasting party resources on an internal fight and are infuriated that the only reason he can even take on a well-established Democratic incumbent is because of his famous name.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairwoman Catherine Cortez Masto have lined up to support Markey.
Masto said, "we are absolutely 100 percent behind him," adding that "he's a progressive and a fighter on so many issues. He's taken a lead on net neutrality and climate change, on so many important issues that matter to his constituents."
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., also backed Markey, who is her Senate co-sponsor for the Green New Deal, Salon reported.
"Joe Kennedy thinks that with the backing of the establishment and the old guard of the Democratic Party that he can beat a progressive champion for justice," Ocasio-Cortez said. "Let's show Kennedy that he's wrong."
Kennedy's campaign spokeswoman Emily Kaufman said that Kennedy "is focused on earning the support of voters across Massachusetts, as this election will be decided by them — and them alone."
A Suffolk University Political Research Center poll showed Kennedy leading the five-candidate field by 9 percentage points and winning a head-to-head matchup with Markey by 14 points.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.