2020 United States Senate election in Massachusetts explained

See also: 2020 United States Senate elections.

Election Name:2020 United States Senate election in Massachusetts
Country:Massachusetts
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:2014 United States Senate election in Massachusetts
Previous Year:2014
Next Election:2026 United States Senate election in Massachusetts
Next Year:2026
Election Date:November 3, 2020
Image1:Edward Markey, official portrait, 114th Congress (1).jpg
Nominee1:Ed Markey
Party1:Democratic Party (United States)
Popular Vote1:2,357,809
Percentage1:66.15%
Nominee2:Kevin O'Connor
Party2:Republican Party (United States)
Popular Vote2:1,177,765
Percentage2:33.05%
Map Size:250px
U.S. Senator
Before Election:Ed Markey
Before Party:Democratic Party (United States)
After Election:Ed Markey
After Party:Democratic Party (United States)

The 2020 United States Senate election in Massachusetts was held on November 3, 2020, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the United States Senate in other states, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections. On September 1, incumbent senator Ed Markey defeated U.S. Representative Joe Kennedy III in a competitive primary for the Democratic nomination, and Kevin O'Connor defeated Shiva Ayyadurai for the Republican nomination. Markey went on to win the general election with 66.2% of the vote, and was thus re-elected to a second full term in a landslide.

Democratic primary

The state primary election took place on September 1, 2020.[1] Incumbent senator Ed Markey was challenged by U.S. Representative Joe Kennedy III, a member of the Kennedy family. Kennedy and Markey had similar political positions, both being considered reliably liberal Democrats, though Markey was considered more left-wing on the DW-Nominate scale.[2] An elected senator had not been defeated in a primary since Richard Lugar in 2012, and an elected Democrat had not been defeated since Joe Lieberman in 2006.[3]

In August 2019, it was reported that Kennedy was considering a primary challenge to Markey.[4] He announced that he would be launching a campaign on September 18.[5] According to Vox, one of the main reasons for Kennedy's decision to challenge Markey, rather than waiting for a Senate seat to open up, was that Markey was perceived to be an easier opponent than the raft of candidates that would run without an incumbent.[6] Polling of the potential match-up showed Markey trailing Kennedy by as much as 14 points, leading to speculation that he would retire rather than face a humiliating primary defeat, but he resolved to run for re-election.[7]

Kennedy faced skepticism about his reasons for running to replace Markey, and journalists observed that his campaign had difficulty articulating a clear rationale.[8] Eventually, Kennedy's campaign pitch largely focused around a message that he would "show up" for disadvantaged residents of Massachusetts, something he claimed Markey had not been doing.[9] This strategy was heavily inspired by Ayanna Pressley's successful campaign for the U.S. House the previous cycle, and was aimed at casting Kennedy as an insurgent outsider running against the establishment.[9]

Facing a severe polling deficit, Markey undertook to politically reinvent himself; his relatively low profile in Massachusetts gave him the opportunity to essentially define himself for the first time to many voters.[10] The main focus of Markey's re-election strategy was to promote himself as a left-wing iconoclast who clashed with the Democratic Party apparatus; to this extent a campaign ad from 1976 wherein Markey promoted his clashes with Massachusetts political bosses was widely used by his campaign.[10] Markey also frequently promoted an endorsement he received from New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a favorite of the Democratic Party's left; Ocasio-Cortez's endorsement encouraged left-wing activist organizations to also support Markey, and resulted in the incumbent developing a large following on the internet.[10]

Support from within the Democratic Party was divided. Markey received support from the DSCC, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, and DSCC chair Catherine Cortez Masto. He was also endorsed by key figures in the party's progressive wing, such as Ocasio-Cortez, fellow Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, and the youth-led Sunrise Movement.[11] Kennedy received various endorsements from the House leadership, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi (which was noteworthy because speakers rarely endorse candidates in competitive primaries, especially challengers to incumbents),[12] [13] House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, House Democratic Caucus chair Hakeem Jeffries, House Intelligence Committee chair Adam Schiff, and House Democratic Senior Chief Deputy Whip John Lewis.

As the campaign progressed, Markey began to explicitly criticise the Kennedy family, deeming them as emblematic of privilege, and frequently contrasting the Kennedy Compound with his own upbringing in Malden.[14] Kennedy attacked Markey for these actions, accusing him of "weaponizing" the history of the Kennedy family.[15] As the race entered its final days the contest began to assume an ideological meaning, with New York writer Gabriel Debendetti writing that the contest was viewed as a "fight for the soul of the national Democratic party", with both candidates claiming that a victory for them would be an affirmation of the strength of the left-wing of the Democrats.[16]

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Withdrawn

Declined

Fundraising

Campaign finance reports as of August 12, 2020
CandidateRaisedSpentCash on hand
Ed Markey (D)$11,083,613$10,402,461$3,535,316
Joe Kennedy III (D)$8,542,661$11,661,569$1,378,349
Source: Federal Election Commission[32] [33]

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin
of error
Ed
Markey
Maura
Healey
Shannon
Joe
Seth
Moulton
Steve
Pemberton
Allen
Waters
OtherUndecided
Emerson College/WHDHAugust 25–27, 2020453 (LV)± 4.6%56%44%
Data for ProgressAugust 24–25, 2020731 (LV)± 4%50%43%7%
Suffolk UniversityAugust 23–25, 2020500 (LV)51%41%0%8%
UMass LowellAugust 13–21, 2020800 (LV)± 4.1%52%40%2%6%
SurveyUSA/Priorities for ProgressAugust 12–16, 2020558 (LV)± 4.2%44%42%15%
UMassAmherst/WCVBJuly 31 – August 7, 2020362 (LV)± 7.0%51%36%1%12%
JMC Analytics and PollingJuly 29–30, 2020500 (LV)± 4.4%44%41%16%
Emerson CollegeMay 5–6, 2020620 (LV)± 3.9%42%58%
University of Massachusetts LowellApril 27 – May 1, 2020531 (LV)± 7.8%42%44%4%10%
Suffolk University/Boston Globe/WBZhttps://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6791271/FINAL-MA-Marginals-2.pdfhttps://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/03/01/metro/kennedy-holds-narrow-lead-over-markey-senate-race-new-suffolkglobe-poll-finds/February 26–28, 2020465 (LV)± 4.4%36%42%1%21%
UMass Amherst/WCVBhttps://htv-prod-media.s3.amazonaws.com/files/supertuesdaymatoplines-1582851435.pdfFebruary 18–24, 2020400 (LV)± 5.9%43%40%4%13%
UMass Lowell/YouGovFebruary 12–19, 2020450 (LV)± 6.1%34%35%23%
Jan 17, 2020Liss-Riordan withdraws from the race
Dec 16, 2019Waters withdraws from the race
Oct 14, 2019Pemberton withdraws from the race
Sep 21, 2019Kennedy announces his candidacy
Suffolk University/Boston GlobeSeptember 3–5, 2019500 (LV)± 4.4%28%42%29%
26%<1%35%1%0%36%
-Change ResearchAugust 23–25, 2019808 (RV)± 3.5%25%5%42%7%
Jul 23, 2019Pemberton announces his candidacy
Suffolk UniversityJune 5–9, 2019370 (LV)± 5.1%44%5%5%45%
May 20, 2019Liss-Riordan announces her candidacy[34]
May 19, 2019Healey announces that she will not run
Apr 1, 2019Waters announces his candidacy[35]
Dec 14, 2018Moulton announces that he will not run[36]
YouGov/UMass AmherstNovember 7–14, 2018635 (RV)26%27%35%
636 (RV)29%25%38%
Oct 5, 2018Markey announces his candidacy
Suffolk UniversitySeptember 13–17, 2018433 (LV)24%18%45%

Debates

2020 United States Senate election in Massachusetts democratic primary debate
DateHostModeratorLinkDemocraticDemocratic
Key:
Participant  Absent  Not invited  Invited Withdrawn
Ed MarkeyJoe Kennedy III
1February 18, 2020WGBH-TVJim Braude
Margery Eagan
C-SPAN
2February 18, 2020WBTS-CDLatoyia EdwardsC-SPAN
3August 11, 2020WBZ-TVJon KellerC-SPAN

Results

Markey defeated his challenger, Joe Kennedy III. Markey won by running up big margins in Boston and its suburbs, and did well in western Massachusetts, especially in college towns. Kennedy did well in the Cape Cod region, and won many Southern municipalities, especially his native 4th district.[37] Despite Kennedy's strength in Southern Massachusetts, Markey defeated Kennedy in portions of the 4th district near Boston, carrying Kennedy's hometown of Newton by 28.2% and neighboring Brookline by 39%. Markey's margin of victory of 10.8% was attributed to his unexpected strength among progressives and younger voters.[38] [17] Kennedy's loss marked the first time a member of the Kennedy family had lost an election in Massachusetts.[39] [40]

Republican primary

The state primary election took place on September 1, 2020.[1]

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Declined

Results

Other candidates

Libertarian Party

Failed to qualify

Results

Green Party

Withdrawn

Independents

Write-in candidate

Withdrawn

General election

The general election took place on November 3, 2020.[1]

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
align=left The Cook Political Report[52] October 29, 2020
align=left Inside Elections[53] October 28, 2020
align=left Sabato's Crystal Ball[54] November 2, 2020
Daily Kos[55] October 30, 2020
Politico[56] November 2, 2020
RCP[57] October 23, 2020
DDHQ[58] November 3, 2020
538[59] November 2, 2020
Economist[60] November 2, 2020

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin
of error
Ed
Markey (D)
Kevin
O'Connor (R)
OtherUndecided
MassIncOctober 23–30, 2020929 (LV)60%29%6%5%
YouGov/UMass AmherstOctober 14–21, 2020713 (LV)65%26%2%7%
Remington Research (R)September 16–17, 2020907 (LV)± 3.3%50%40%10%
with Charlie Baker

Results

County[61] Ed Markey
Democratic
Kevin O'Connor
Republican
Shiva Ayyadurai
Independent
Write-inMarginTotal
votes
data-sort-type="number" data-sort-type="number" %data-sort-type="number" data-sort-type="number" %data-sort-type="number" data-sort-type="number" %data-sort-type="number" data-sort-type="number" %data-sort-type="number" data-sort-type="number" %
Barnstable89,97760.5057,96538.976560.441340.0932,01221.52148,732
Berkshire51,26173.7417,69725.464880.70660.0933,56448.2869,512
Bristol155,92757.35113,75041.841,4180.528010.2942,17715.51271,896
Dukes9,76777.322,79922.16600.4760.056,96855.1612,632
Essex267,67864.58143,44734.612,4510.599090.22124,23129.97414,485
Franklin29,90071.4911,24126.885701.361140.2718,65944.6141,825
Hampden123,86758.3085,79040.382,2051.046000.2838,07717.92212,462
Hampshire63,15172.9422,57726.086970.801550.1840,57446.8686,580
Middlesex611,48571.97232,73927.393,9160.461,4370.17378,74644.58849,577
Nantucket5,13271.342,03428.2700.00280.393,09843.067,194
Norfolk265,21066.19133,04733.211,3860.351,0280.26132,16332.98400,671
Plymouth170,53257.47124,08441.821,6840.574250.1446,44815.65296,725
Suffolk266,11781.4758,98218.066120.199490.29207,13563.41326,660
Worcester247,80558.28171,61340.364,9911.177760.1876,19217.92425,185
Totals2,357,80966.151,177,76533.0421,1340.597,4280.211,180,04433.113,564,136

Markey won all fourteen of Massachusetts' counties for the second election in a row.

By congressional district

Markey won all 9 congressional districts.[62]

DistrictMarkeyO'ConnorRepresentative
37%62%Richard Neal
36%62%Jim McGovern
35%64%Lori Trahan
36%64%Joe Kennedy III
Jake Auchincloss
25%75%Katherine Clark
36%63%Seth Moulton
13%86%Ayanna Pressley
34%66%Stephen Lynch
41%58%Bill Keating

See also

Notes

General
  • Partisan clients
  • External links

    Official campaign websites

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Election calendar. www.sec.state.ma.us. PDF. 2020-08-03.
    2. Web site: Rakich. Nathaniel. 2019-09-24. Joe Kennedy Isn't Your Usual Upstart Primary Challenger. 2020-09-02. FiveThirtyEight. en-US.
    3. Web site: Jacobson. Louis. Markey vs. Kennedy: Welcome to the most unusual Senate primary in decades – Sabato's Crystal Ball. January 2, 2020 . 2020-08-30. en-US. . Arlen Specter, who was elected as a Republican, but switched parties to Democratic, was defeated in 2010 during his first Democratic primary.
    4. Web site: Joseph Kennedy III Said to Be Eyeing Edward Markey's Massachusetts Senate Seat. The New York Times. Martin. Jonathan. August 17, 2019. September 10, 2021.
    5. Joe Kennedy III is Officially Challenging Ed Markey's Senate Seat. Vanity Fair. Durkee. Allison. September 18, 2019. September 10, 2021.
    6. Web site: Joe Kennedy is officially going after Ed Markey's Senate seat. Vox. Zhou. Li. September 21, 2019. September 10, 2021.
    7. Web site: Ed Markey "gets his Irish up". Politico. Murray. Stephanie. September 29, 2019. September 10, 2021.
    8. Web site: Damiano . Mike . 2020-05-13 . Joe Kennedy III Wants You to Know He's More Than Just a Name . 2023-08-16 . Boston Magazine . en-US.
    9. Web site: A key piece of Joe Kennedy's strategy: Appealing to people on the margins. The Boston Globe. McGrane. Victoria. September 23, 2019. December 29, 2021.
    10. Web site: How Ed Markey Defeated Joe Kennedy. The Atlantic. Berman. Russell. September 9, 2020. September 1, 2022.
    11. Web site: Clare. Foran. Gregory. Krieg. Pelosi endorses Joe Kennedy in Massachusetts Senate primary against Ed Markey. 2020-09-04. CNN. August 20, 2020 .
    12. Web site: Chris . Cillizza. Why, exactly, did Nancy Pelosi endorse Joe Kennedy III?. 2020-08-29. CNN. August 21, 2020 .
    13. Web site: Pelosi endorses Kennedy over Markey in contentious primary. 2020-08-29. POLITICO. August 20, 2020 . en.
    14. Web site: Markey throws shade at Kennedy family in Senate primary brawl. Politico. Murray. Stephanie. August 17, 2020. May 19, 2021.
    15. Web site: Joe Kennedy Defends His Family, Says Markey Is "Weaponizing Their History". CBS Boston. August 17, 2020. May 19, 2021.
    16. Web site: How Markey and Kennedy Are Closing Out Their Brutal Primary. New York Magazine. Debendetti. Gabriel. August 28, 2020. December 6, 2021.
    17. News: Murray. Stephanie. Markey overcomes Kennedy challenge in Massachusetts. Politico. September 2, 2020. September 2, 2020.
    18. Web site: Massachusetts Senate 2020 Race . May 15, 2020 . OpenSecrets.
    19. Web site: Sen. Markey, Rep. Kennedy say they've met signature hurdle . SF Chronicle . May 15, 2020 . May 1, 2020 .
    20. Web site: Labor lawyer Shannon Liss-Riordan drops out of US Senate primary – The Boston Globe. BostonGlobe.com. Prignano. Christina. January 17, 2020.
    21. News: Walker . Adrian . Ed Markey leans into the new justice movement, and says it isn't new to him . August 25, 2020 . The Boston Globe . July 28, 2020.
    22. News: Tiernan. Erin. Pemberton drops of out of 2020 Senate race against Markey. Boston Herald. October 14, 2019. October 14, 2019.
    23. Web site: Providence native drops Mass. Senate bid to challenge Reed. Katherine. Gregg. providencejournal.com. (switched to 2020 U.S. Senate election in Rhode Island Republican candidacy)
    24. AllenRWaters . 1296420749822091264 . August 29, 2020 . August 20, 2020 . I support #termlimits. I support @JoeKennedy in the primary. Old @EdMarkey has been in Congress since the Tall Ships sailed into Boston Harbor in '76 when I was 20. I'm 64, Markey's still there!.
    25. News: Ed Markey: 'I do my best' . DeCosta-Klipa . Nik . November 28, 2018 . Boston.com . en-US . November 30, 2018.
    26. News: HOW MANY WILL CHALLENGE SEN. MARKEY IN 2020? . McCarthy . Chris. wbsm.com . en-US . April 9, 2019.
    27. Web site: Healey steers clear of presidential field, saying 2020 'too far away' . Herald News . August 29, 2020 . May 20, 2019 . Michael . Norton . September 13, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200913093755/https://www.heraldnews.com/news/20190520/healey-steers-clear-of-presidential-field-saying-2020-too-far-away . dead .
    28. News: Murphy. Matt. Former New Bedford mayor eyeing possible U.S. Senate bid. The Standard-Times. June 21, 2019. June 21, 2019.
    29. News: McGrane. Victoria. After Mike Capuano's defeat, is Ed Markey a primary target for 2020?. The Boston Globe. November 27, 2018. November 30, 2018.
    30. News: Burns. Alexander. Democrats Embrace Liberal Insurgents, Demanding New Face for Party. The New York Times. September 8, 2018. November 14, 2018.
    31. Web site: Seth Moulton Drops Out Of The Race For President. August 23, 2019.
    32. Web site: Report of Receipts And Disbursements . Federal Election Commission.
    33. Web site: Report of Receipts And Disbursements . Federal Election Commission.
    34. Web site: Boston Labor Lawyer Shannon Liss-Riordan Launches U.S. Senate Bid Against Markey. WBUR Newsroom . August 29, 2020 . May 20, 2019 .
    35. Web site: Conservative Cape Cod Democrat running against Markey . South Coast Today . August 29, 2020 . July 25, 2019 . Jennette . Barnes . September 13, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200913104350/https://www.southcoasttoday.com/news/20190725/conservative-cape-cod-democrat-running-against-markey . dead .
    36. Web site: Seth Moulton says he does not plan to run for Senate in next election. August 20, 2020 . The Boston Globe . December 17, 2018 . James . Pindell .
    37. Web site: Markey Holds Off Joseph Kennedy in Massachusetts Senate Race. The New York Times. Jonathan. Martin. September 1, 2020. September 2, 2020.
    38. Web site: Cohen. Rachel M.. September 1, 2020. Ed Markey Beats Back Senate Challenge from Joe Kennedy. September 2, 2020. The Intercept.
    39. News: Martin. Jonathan. 2020-09-01. Markey Holds Off Joseph Kennedy in Massachusetts Senate Race. en-US. The New York Times. 2020-09-02. 0362-4331.
    40. Web site: Fast Facts about Robert F. Kennedy. 2020-09-04. JFK Library. Robert F. Kennedy was not on the ballot in Massachusetts in the 1968 Democratic Party presidential primaries, and finished second to Eugene McCarthy as a write-in candidate..
    41. Web site: Republican Attorney Kevin O'Connor Announces Campaign For U.S. Senate Seat. CBS Boston . February 27, 2020. February 19, 2020.
    42. Web site: "Fact-checking hoaxes and conspiracies about the coronavirus".. Funke. Daniel. Kertscher. Tom . January 24, 2020. PolitiFact. May 21, 2020.
    43. Web site: Massachusetts 2020 General Election . The Green Papers. August 24, 2019.
    44. News: Markos . Mary . Charlie Baker 'absolutely' staying put . November 9, 2018 . Boston Herald . November 8, 2018 . en.
    45. Web site: I am announcing a write-in campaign for the US Senate vote in the Libertarian primary.. Vermin. Supreme. August 24, 2020. August 25, 2020. Twitter.
    46. Web site: Search Elections . September 13, 2020 . Massachusetts Secretary of State.
    47. Web site: Massachusetts State Primary Candidate Lists . 2020 State Primary Candidates . June 5, 2020. Massachusetts Secretary of State.
    48. Web site: STATEMENT OF CANDIDACY . FEC . April 24, 2020.
    49. va_shiva . 1301205679370313728 . September 2, 2020 . September 3, 2020 . Our movement #TruthFreedomHealth NOW ESCALATES to a full-blown REVOLUTION to destroy the Establishment..
    50. Web site: The Green Papers . May 17, 2020 . The Green Papers: Massachusetts 2020 General Election . May 8, 2020.
    51. Web site: No Statewide Petitions in Massachusetts Succeeded This Year . Ballot Access News . Richard . Wagner . August 26, 2020 . August 28, 2020.
    52. Web site: 2020 Senate Race Ratings for October 29, 2020 . The Cook Political Report . March 11, 2021.
    53. Web site: 2020 Senate Ratings . Senate Ratings . The Rothenberg Political Report . March 11, 2021.
    54. Web site: 2020 Senate race ratings . Sabato's Crystal Ball . March 12, 2021.
    55. Web site: 2020 Senate Race Ratings . Daily Kos Elections. March 13, 2021.
    56. Web site: 2020 Election Forecast. November 19, 2019 . Politico.
    57. Web site: Battle for the Senate 2020. October 23, 2020 . RCP.
    58. Web site: September 2, 2020 . 2020 Senate Elections Model. September 2, 2020 . Decision Desk HQ.
    59. Web site: Silver . Nate . Forecasting the race for the Senate . . September 18, 2020 . September 18, 2020.
    60. Web site: November 2, 2020 . Forecasting the US elections . March 13, 2021 . The Economist.
    61. Web site: PD43+ » 2020 U.S. Senate General Election . electionstats.state.ma.us . .
    62. Web site: DRA 2020. Daves Redistricting. August 18, 2024.