Joe Kennedy Announces Run For Senate

Rep. Joe Kennedy officially announced a 2020 Democratic primary challenge to Sen. Ed Markey on Saturday morning. Kennedy has faced criticism for his decision to run instead of waiting for Markey to retire — Kennedy's campaign is focused on taking action now, with a catchphrase of "This isn't a time for waiting."

Kennedy, 38, is the grandson of Robert Kennedy and grand-nephew of John F. Kennedy. He is the last of the famed Bay State political family serving in Washington. In a tweet with his campaign announcement, Kennedy said, "This is the fight of our lives, the fight of my generation — and I'm all in." While Kennedy and Markey don't have many major ideological differences, there is a generational gap between the two.

He's also been a fast-rising star in the Democratic ranks, chosen to give the party's response to President Trump's State of the Union address in 2018.

Markey, 73, is popular among high-profile Democrats, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the latter of whom he partnered with to introduce the Green New Deal. Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Markey. Markey's supporters argued earlier this week that the senator has been taking on the big issues Kennedy has noted.

Markey is already facing Shannon Liss-Riordan and Steve Pemberton in the primary.