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Joe Kennedy's loss in Massachusetts primary could signal the end of America's greatest political dynasty

The 39-year-old's loss to incumbent Ed Markey marked the first time a Kennedy lost a primary in the Bay State

One of America’s greatest political surnames — Kennedy — witnessed a blow on Tuesday, September 1, when incumbent Senator Ed Markey defeated Representative Joe Kennedy III in the Democratic primary for the Senate in Massachusetts. This defeat of the 39-year-old Kennedy was momentous as it brought to an end to the decades-long winning streak for the Kennedy family in the Bay State.

And it happened in a year when moderate Democrats are facing a challenge against the Left-wing ones. The 74-year-old Markey emerged the winner against his young opponent by taking a 10-point lead (55 percent to 45 percent) following which the latter conceded the race. Nearly $30 million was spent between the two candidates for the seat which is a safe one for the Democrats.

The Democratic battle for the seat was an exception to the national trend of younger progressives challenging more moderate incumbents in safe blue states. Kennedy’s defeat would shock his supporters as he started off the race strongly, mostly leading in polls till May. He also had the backing of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former Texas Representative Beto O’Rourke and current Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema. However, Robert F Kennedy's grandson eventually lost as Markey got a boost from young voters who gave him an identity of a progressive icon.

Markey emerged as a strong favorite and led in various public polls in the weeks leading up to the poll while Kennedy was left with accusations that he was contesting only because he was carrying a heavy surname. It was also ironic that Markey flipped former president John F Kennedy’s iconic phrase on its head during his campaign to tell voters: "It's time to start asking what your country can do for you."

The first loss of a Kennedy in Massachusetts

The defeat of Joe saw the first time a Kennedy lose a primary in Massachusetts. In the last 50 years, a number of members of the influential family have maintained a clean win record in Democratic primaries in the state to hold the Kennedy school of liberal politics high. According to NBC’s Steve Kornacki, the Kennedys — including Joe — have won 26 Democratic primaries in the state. While Red Kennedy won 10 primaries, JFK and Joe Kennedy II won six each and Joe Kennedy III four times.

Who is Joe Kennedy III

Joe or Joseph Patrick Kennedy III, who tweeted thanking his supporters after his loss, was born in Boston on October 4, 1980, to Joe Kennedy II and Sheila Brewster Rauch. While his father served as a member of the House for more than a decade (1987-99), the generation of his grandfathers was one of the most celebrated ones in America’s political history. His grandfather was Robert Kennedy (1925-68), a former US senator from New York, who was assassinated in 1968 during a presidential campaign.

Robert’s brothers were John F Kennedy (1917-63) who was assassinated while serving as the president and Ted Kennedy (1932-2009) who had served as a senator from Massachusetts for nearly five decades and ran for the presidency in 1980. Joe Kennedy III’s great grandfather Joseph Kennedy Sr (1888-1969) was another decorated name who served as the first chairman of the SEC and later as the US ambassador to the UK under Franklin Roosevelt.

Joe Kennedy III's political journey

Born eight minutes after his fraternal twin brother Matthew, Joe was raised in Brighton and the coastal town of Marshfield. They saw politics from close quarters as their family members were closely involved in political activities. After graduating from Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in Cambridge, Joe and his brother enrolled at Stanford University where he majored in management science and engineering. Joe made a start to his political career during a family campaign.

In 2006, he worked on Ted’s Senate campaign. "Look, my family means different things to different folks. I think for most people they have very fond memories and believe my family made important contributions to the country. And I happen to believe so too, and I'm grateful when people do mention that and share their stories: 'I shook your grandfather’s hand' or JFK’s hand, or 'I met your Uncle Teddy'," Joe told Town & Country in 2017. 

After graduating from Harvard Law School in 2009, Joe worked as an assistant DA in various counties of Massachusetts and in February 2012, he declared that he was joining the race for the state’s 4th congressional district seat that was open after incumbent Barney Frank retired after a 32-year stint. In November the same year, Joe beat GOP opponent Sean Bielat to become the representative from Massachusetts’s 4th congressional district. He was re-elected to the House thrice more since that win — in 2014, 2016 and 2018 (unopposed) — and currently serves on the Committee on Energy and Commerce. 

Joe has since been re-elected to the US House of representatives two more times, in 2014 and 2016. He currently serves on the Committee on Energy and Commerce. In 2018, Joe reportedly became the youngest person to deliver the Democratic response to a GOP State of the Union. 

Joe has been a vocal critic of the Donald Trump administration and has voted in line with the president’s position less than 11 percent of the time. Many of his speeches slamming the GOP initiatives have gone viral, including the one in which he called the Republican’s healthcare bill of 2017 an "act of malice". 

Joe was also among the Democratic lawmakers who voted to impeach Trump last year and in a letter he wrote to his two kids — Ellie and James — he wrote why he decided to do so. "Dear Ellie and James: This is a moment that you’ll read about in your history books. Today, I will vote to impeach the president of the United States. And I want you to know why."

In August 2019, Joe announced that he was considering running for the Senate and formally announced his candidature in September. 

Personal life

Joe married his law-school sweetheart Lauren Anne Birchfield, 35, in Corona del Mar, California, in December 2012. The couple met in a Harvard Law School class where current Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren was a teacher. In December 2015, the couple was blessed with their first child Eleanor (Ellie) while two years later, Joe and Lauren had their second kid James Matthew. The family now resides in Newton, Massachusetts.

Some, however, are skeptical of his campaign. Even though Joe is a popular lawmaker who has taken strong stands on issues like climate change, healthcare, racial inequality and civil rights, his campaign for the Senate failed to convince many. Erin O’Brien, a political science professor at the University of Massachusetts told Vox recently that Joe never cared to explain why was he running for the Senate seat. 

"That's because his answer isn't one that flies in politics: The answer is 'I'm ambitious' and he perceives Ed Markey as easier to beat than an open Senate race against someone like Ayanna Pressley, Maura Healey or Katherine Clark."

Tatishe Nteta, a political science professor at University Massachusetts Amherst was quoted as saying by Vox: "It's been a weird campaign, and I think it’s surprised not just the candidates themselves, but everyone in the state." Did Joe's defeat signal the end of America's most celebrated political family?