Massachusetts U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III has filed a statement of organization with the Federal Election Commission creating a "Kennedy for Massachusetts" Senate campaign committee.
Kennedy said on Facebook he hasn't yet reached a decision about his 2020 plans. He was responding to speculation that he'll challenge Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Ed Markey in next year's Democratic primary.
In a Facebook post, Kennedy said he's "begun to consider a run for the U.S. Senate" over the past few weeks, and is thinking "about what I have to offer Massachusetts voters, what is most important in this political moment, and what kind of party Democrats need to be building for the future."
"I hear the folks who say I should wait my turn," Kennedy wrote, "but with due respect — I'm not sure this is a moment for waiting. Our system has been letting down a lot of people for a long time, and we can't fix it if we don't challenge it. I've got some ideas on how to do that. And I don’t think our democratic process promises anyone a turn. What it does promise is the chance for anyone to earn it — if we think we have something to offer and are willing to put ourselves and our ideas out there."
Kennedy, 38, first elected to the House in 2012, is the grandson of Robert F. Kennedy. He has not held public events in recent days. His congressional office sent a public schedule showing a Tuesday visit to the Newton Fire Department.
The Facebook post is his first public comment on rumors of a run against Markey.
Describing himself as "humbled by the words and actions of so many people supporting my potential candidacy," Kennedy said he planned to "spend the next couple of weeks" talking to voters and "trying to figure out if this campaign is right for me and right for Massachusetts."
Markey, meanwhile, has spent the last several days announcing a blitz of endorsements, gathering an early slate of backers that includes U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts, the Sunrise Movement, the Coaition for Social Justice and the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund.
Markey was first elected to the Senate in a 2013 special election after 37 years in the U.S. House. He did not face a Democratic primary challenger in 2014, and in the 2013 election defeated U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch with 57 percent of the vote. Before that, Markey had last faced an opponent from within his own party in 2002.
So far this cycle, Markey has at least two declared opponents from within his own party: Shannon Liss-Riordan and Steve Pemberton.
Kennedy's entrance in the race would shake up that field, and clear the path for a slew of potential Congressional candidates interested in the seat he holds but wary of taking on an incumbent.
A late July telephone poll asked respondents about a potential Markey/Kennedy matchup, and about a primary field that consisted of Markey, Kennedy, Liss-Riordan, Pemberton and Attorney General Maura Healey, who has not expressed an interest in running.
There's plenty of time for candidates to decide whether to run. May 5 is the deadline for candidates for Congress and statewide offices to submit their nomination papers to local officials.
This report includes information from State House News Service.
