As a Rising Star, Joe Kennedy Didnt Want to Help Democrats Beat Republicans – The Intercept
In the high-profile, expensive Senate race between Rep. Joe Kennedy and incumbent Ed Markey, Kennedy has made one argument particularly central to his bid: that Markey has not leveraged his Senate seat as effectively as he could to further the goals of the Democratic Party. The two men broadly align on liberal policy priorities, but Kennedy has repeatedly emphasized that theres more to being a senator than just casting votes and filing bills, and that he would make better use of a Senate seat than Markey has or will.
To underscore his point, Kennedy regularly refers to the way hes leveraged his seat in the House of Representatives, where he has served since 2013, namely the many fundraising trips he made during the 2018 midterm cycle, when he raised nearly $5 million for other Democratic candidates and helped his party flip the House. During that cycle, Kennedy served as a mid-Atlantic and New England regional vice chair for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and stumped for candidates in at least 15 states and D.C., including battleground races in Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Arizona.
While Kennedy acknowledgesthat he has not used his platform to bring national attention to policy issues like Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or Ayanna Pressley have, he speaks proudly of leveraging his seat in a way that is most natural to me.
Yet his eagerness to claim credit for flipping seats two years ago contrasts with how Kennedy used to talk about such partisan efforts.
Following a rough 2014 midterm cycle, during which Democrats already a minority in the House lost 13 seats in that chamber, party officials began discussing how one of the partys young, rising stars might be key to reversing Democrats fortunes in 2016. Party operatives turned their sights to Kennedy and Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas as top candidates to potentially take over the DCCC and guide the party forward. One of the primary goals of the DCCC and its counterpart in the upper chamber, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, is to flip seats held by Republicans. Kennedy, then 34 years old, was just finishing up his first term in Congress and was seen as a particularly appealing contender given his knack for fundraising, driven by his lineage and last name. The DCCC chair at the time was New York Rep. Steve Israel, who had already declared that he would not continue on for the 2016 cycle. California Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who was expected to be reelected as House minority leader, would get to select the next DCCC chair.
But after Politico reported that party leaders were looking at Kennedy, the Massachusettsrepresentativequickly made clear to House Democratic leadership that he had no interest in a role that would mean dedicating his energy to unseating Republicans.Its an important job, Kennedy told Boston Globe columnist Joan Vennochi. But its not something that interests me. If I do the job right, I would be finding ways to beat those guys. Since joining Congress, Kennedy had been making a point to cast himself as more open to working with Republicans than many of his Democratic colleagues. He was a member of a small 6:30 a.m. exercise group led by Republican Rep. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, and a study from the Lugar Center and Georgetown Universitys McCourt School of Public Policy ranked him as the most bipartisan House member in all of New England.
In 2013, amid the federal government shutdown, Kennedy earned headlines for defending his tea party colleagues at a time when many, including President Barack Obama, were describing them as much more akin to extortionists. Theyre people too, Kennedy said, when asked his opinion of the tea party. Everyone here got elected. Everyone here got someone to vote for them. Everyone is genuinely trying to do the right thing for the country. At the time, nationwide public opinion of tea party Republicans had declined precipitously.
Kennedy then proceeded to dismiss the medias depiction of congressional divisions and said he understood that tea party Republicans are just seeking to represent their constituents who have a different worldview than those who live in Massachusetts. We talk about the Red Sox, their kids, and whether theyll have a chance to see them on the weekend, Kennedy told the Boston Globe. Regular old things co-workers would talk about.
When asked about his lack of interest in 2014 to lead the DCCC and if his thinking on partnering with Republicans has evolved, campaign spokesperson Brian Phillips Jr. said in an emailed statement, Congressman Kennedys legislation has always been guided by building relationships with his constituents and learning the needs of his district. In those efforts, he has developed diverse coalitions to deliver on those priorities, including tackling racial inequities in our education and health care systems, building a national manufacturing network, and enacting environmental justice policies. Beyond his efforts in Washington, he has served in a leadership role in the DCCC, campaigned in dozens of Congressional districts, raised millions for Democratic candidates and traveled the country to fight for progressive causes.
The high-profile race between Kennedy and Markey has grown increasingly competitive in the final days ahead of the September 1 primary. A new poll released on Monday of likely Democratic primary voters found Markey leading Kennedy by2 points 44 percent to 42 percent with 15 percent still undecided. Another poll, conducted by University of Massachusetts Amherst/WCVB and released last week found Markey with a more substantial 15-point lead over Kennedy. Two polls released in early May had shown Kennedy up by 2 points and 16 points, respectively. On Tuesday night, the candidates will face off in their final debate.
Politico reported earlier this week that Markey had raised $1.55 million in the preprimary period, which runs from July 1 to August 12, in addition to the more than $10 million he had raised by the end of June. The incumbent has $3.5 million on hand to spend in the last two weeks. Kennedy had raised nearly $1 million during that same period, on top of his nearly $8 million raised by the end of June. All told, more than $20 million has been raised for this contest.
See the article here:
As a Rising Star, Joe Kennedy Didnt Want to Help Democrats Beat Republicans - The Intercept
- Republicans toe Trump line even in aftermath of deadly Texas floods - The Guardian - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Opinion | How Republicans can defy history and survive the midterms - The Washington Post - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- What the Big, Beautiful Bill Reveals About Republicans - Slate Magazine - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Are Republicans bowing to Trump even more than they used to? - KCRW - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- How Republicans sidelined the health care industry and pushed through historic Medicaid cuts - STAT - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Republicans urge US universities to cut ties with 'nefarious' Chinese-backed scholarship program - ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Full List of Republicans Who Voted To Slash Weather Forecasting Funding - Newsweek - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Republicans are already getting hammered over the OBBB - Punchbowl News - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Will Republicans in Virginia pay a price for the One Big Beautiful Bill? Here's what the math shows. - Cardinal News - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- These Republicans fought for green energy tax credits. Trumps latest order could threaten them - Deseret News - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- 'Nefarious mechanism': Republicans issue stern warning to US universities against Chinese scholarship pro - Times of India - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Republicans Are Already Licking Their Lips at the Chance of Another Reconciliation Bill - NOTUS - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Republicans say 'big, beautiful bill' will address states with high SNAP payment error, including Colorado - Denver7 - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Opinion | Everyone Hates This Bill. Dan Osborn Could Make Republicans Pay for It. - The New York Times - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- 'Big, Beautiful Bill': Which House Republicans voted against the bill? - FOX 5 DC - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- 2 Ohio Republicans taking on their own party to protect access to marijuana - News 5 Cleveland WEWS - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Republicans just cut Medicaid. Will it cost them control of Congress? - Politico - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- News Analysis: The healthcare cuts approved by Trump, Republicans go well beyond Medicaid - Los Angeles Times - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- People Are Saying We Might Not Even Make It To The Midterm Election After Elizabeth Warren Tried To Give Hope About Republicans Having To "Face... - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Fake Weather, Fake Flooding: Republicans Are Spreading A Bizarre Conspiracy Theory After The Deadly Texas Floods - HuffPost - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: Trump & Congressional Republicans Big Ugly Bill Will Hurt American Families - New Democrat Coalition (.gov) - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- What the Republicans New Policy Bill Means for Higher Education - The New York Times - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Republicans used to be the fiscally conservative party, but look at us now - Idaho Capital Sun - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Trump Goes on a Charm Offensive as He Woos Holdout Republicans - The New York Times - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- U.S. Rep. Castor Statement on Republicans Big Ugly Bill That Will Inflict Outsized Harm & Raise Costs on Floridians - U.S. Representative Kathy... - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Opinion | Republicans may be cooking up a mess in Texas - The Washington Post - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Republicans, Democrats start gaming out Trump's tax-cut bill hit to 2026 elections - Reuters - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Republicans Pass the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Ahead of the July 4 Deadline - Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- These Republicans Savaged Their Partys Bill, Then Voted for It - The New York Times - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- How Republicans Re-engineered the Tax Code - The New York Times - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Republicans passed the 'big, beautiful bill.' Will it come back to haunt them? - USA Today - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Congressional Republicans defy expectations and send megabill to Trump - Colorado Public Radio - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Why Republicans once staunchly opposed to Trumps bill changed their minds - PBS - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Texas Republicans vote to send GOPs tax and spending megabill to Trumps desk after threatening to tank it - The Texas Tribune - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- The 2 House Republicans who voted no on Trump's sweeping domestic policy bill - ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- House Republicans pass their megabill, sending it to President Trump - Politico - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Jeffries calls out Republicans over Medicaid ahead of final megabill vote - Politico - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Which House Republicans voted against Trump tax bill? - USA Today - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- These House Republicans Voted Against Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' - Newsweek - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- These are the 5 Republicans who voted against Trumps Big Beautiful Bill - AL.com - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Where Trumps massive policy bill stands in the House as some Republicans express concerns - PBS - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- House Republicans expected to pass Trump's massive tax and policy bill by July 4 - NPR - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Republicans Vulnerable to Losing Their Seats After Voting Yes on Trump Bill - Newsweek - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Who were the 2 Republicans that voted against Trump's tax bill? - NBC 5 Chicago - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- House Republicans advance Trump's tax-cut bill to a final vote - Reuters - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Congress passes Trump's tax and spending bill, with all four Colorado Republicans in the House voting "yes" - The Colorado Sun - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Republicans Just Passed the Worst Bill in Modern American History - Mother Jones - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Senate works a tense overnight session as Republicans seek support for Trumps big bill - PBS - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Article | Senate Republicans shock the House with a supercharged megabill - POLITICO Pro - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Senate Republicans struggle to push Trump's budget bill over the finish line - BBC - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Which Republicans Voted Against Trumps Bill in the Senate - The New York Times - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- The Republicans who bucked Trump on his big bill: From the Politics Desk - NBC News - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Why Republicans are rushing to pass Trump's "big, beautiful bill" - MSNBC News - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- House Republicans don't have the votes yet to pass Trump's megabill - CNBC - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Which Senate Republicans voted against Trump's tax and spending bill? - USA Today - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Fact-Checking Trump and Republicans on Proposed Tax Cuts in Policy Bill - The New York Times - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Senate Republicans just voted to dismantle Americas only climate plan - Grist.org - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Senate Republicans pass Trumps big bill but it may cost them in the future - The Guardian - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- House Republicans race toward a final vote on Trumps tax bill, daring critics to oppose - AP News - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- The Republicans in Congress Who Are Opting to Self-Deport From Washington - The New York Times - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Ahead of 2026, Georgia Republicans Are Quietly Installing Election Conspiracy Theorists on Local Boards - Democracy Docket - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Whats in the latest version of Trumps big bill Senate Republicans are trying to pass - PBS - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- The Top 5 Ways the Congressional Republicans Budget Reconciliation Bill Will Harm Disabled Students - Center for American Progress - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Republicans introduce last-minute industry killer tax on solar and wind in spending bill - CNN - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Young Republicans are fueling the GOPs generational divide on Israel - The Washington Post - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Senate Republicans tax cuts cost projected to rise to $4.45T - Politico - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Whats in Trump and Senate Republicans tax and immigration bill? - The Washington Post - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Senate Republicans move to slash consumer bureau funding by half, risking hundreds of job cuts - AP News - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Senate Republicans advance Trump's tax and spending cuts bill after dramatic late-night vote - AP News - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Senate Republicans scramble to pass Trump's big bill before July 4 deadline - Scripps News - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Trump attacks Republicans who voted against big beautiful Bill - Yahoo - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Governor Hochul Slams Washington Republicans for Threatening New Yorkers Jobs, Small Businesses and Health Care in the North Country - Governor Kathy... - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Trump reacts to Tillis not seeking re-election, sends warning to 'cost cutting Republicans' - Fox News - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Article | Senate Republicans make steep cuts to wind and solar in updated megabill text - POLITICO Pro - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Senate Republicans scrambling to pass tax-and-spend bill by Trump deadline - The Guardian - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Republicans rush to pass Big, Beautiful Bill ahead of July 4th holiday - CGTN America - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Senate Republicans Can Still Abandon Disastrous, Rushed Reconciliation Bill - Center on Budget and Policy Priorities - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Gov. Kotek blames transportation package failure on Republicans who just wanted to go home - Oregon Capital Chronicle - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Republicans dangle reprieve from tax retaliation as Trump bill heads toward votes - Reuters - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- News Wrap: Senate Republicans unveil their version of Trumps big budget bill - PBS - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]