Political Dynasty Kennedy Family's Humiliation... Senate Bid Failure in 'Stronghold' Massachusetts

Rep. Joe Kennedy III Falls to Incumbent Sen. Markey in Democratic Primary
John F. Kennedy's Former Congressional District... "Progressive Energy Reshapes the Democratic Party"

Representative Joe Kennedy III
[Photo by Reuters]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] The Kennedy family, a "political dynasty" that has produced prominent politicians including former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, the Attorney General, and senators, suffered its first defeat in its stronghold of Massachusetts.

On the 2nd (local time), according to the New York Times (NYT) and others, in the Democratic primary for the Massachusetts U.S. Senate election, Congressman Joe Kennedy III (39) received 44.4% of the vote, losing to the incumbent Senator Ed Markey (74), who garnered 55.6%. Massachusetts is traditionally a Democratic stronghold, so barring unexpected variables, Senator Markey is expected to win re-election in the Senate race held alongside the presidential election this November.

Foreign media have been reporting the news that the Kennedy family, which has held power at the core of American politics for about 60 years, was defeated in its stronghold of Massachusetts. Former President John F. Kennedy was elected to the House of Representatives from Massachusetts in 1946, and his brother Edward Kennedy served as a Massachusetts senator for 47 years from 1962 until his death from cancer in 2009.

Joe Kennedy III also served four terms as a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts and recently received support from Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He campaigned emphasizing his image as a young politician, but the dynamics changed as Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (New York) supported Senator Markey. Markey’s acceptance of progressive policies, including the "Green New Deal," is analyzed to have won the hearts of young voters.

The NYT evaluated that Joe Kennedy III failed to properly emphasize to Massachusetts Democrats why they should replace the incumbent Markey, noting that although the Kennedy family name was used in the campaign, today’s progressives hardly moved. It added, "This shows that progressive energy is reshaping the Democratic Party," explaining that if the Democrats win the presidential and congressional elections, it will provide early pressure they will face next year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.