Incumbent Sen. Ed Markey defeated Rep. Joe Kennedy III in the Massachusetts Democratic Senate primary, an unprecedented political loss for a member of the Kennedy clan in their home state.

According to the Associated Press, Markey was declared the winner with roughly 43% of precincts reporting, though Markey had amassed a solid 10% lead with many of the areas of the state favorable to him still yet to report.

BREAKING: Edward Markey wins Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts primary election. #APracecall at 10:30 p.m. EDT. #Election2020 #MAprimary https://t.co/lGfinjTqT4

— AP Politics (@AP_Politics) September 2, 2020

The 74-year-old Markey has served in Congress since 1977 and has been the state’s junior U.S. senator since 2013, but the 39-year-old Kennedy still chose to challenge him, setting up what was a costly and nasty intra-party and inter-generational fight with major Democratic figures choosing sides. Progressives like Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez backed Markey, who emphasized his left-wing roots in the primary campaign. Meanwhile, more establishment Democratic leaders like House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Speaker Nancy Pelosi came out in favor of Kennedy’s challenge.

Because of his Senate run, Kennedy had to give up his chance to run for re-election in the House, where he has served since 2013.

As MSNBC political analyst Steve Kornacki noted on the eve of the primary. The Kennedy family was 26 – 0 in primary races going back to John F. Kennedy’s first Congressional race in 1946.

Heading into tomorrow, when Kennedys have been on the ballot in Massachusetts Democratic primaries: pic.twitter.com/0K7UI3sy2w

— Steve Kornacki (@SteveKornacki) September 1, 2020

from Mediaite https://ift.tt/3jFurZJ