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United States Senate election in Massachusetts, 2020 (September 1 Democratic primary)
- Primary date: Sept. 1
- Primary type: Semi-closed
- Registration deadline(s): Aug. 12
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Early voting starts: Pending
- Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): Sept. 1 (received)
- Voter ID: No ID
- Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
2026 →
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| U.S. Senate, Massachusetts |
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| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: May 5, 2020 & June 2, 2020[1] |
| Primary: September 1, 2020 General: November 3, 2020 Pre-election incumbent: Ed Markey (Democratic) |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting in Massachusetts |
| Race ratings |
Inside Elections: Solid Democratic Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Democratic |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2020 |
| See also |
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th Massachusetts elections, 2020 U.S. Congress elections, 2020 U.S. Senate elections, 2020 U.S. House elections, 2020 |
Incumbent Edward Markey defeated Joseph Kennedy III in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts on September 1, 2020. Markey received 55% of the vote to Kennedy's 45%.
The candidates had several policy positions in common, including support for Medicare for All and the Green New Deal. They argued over their progressive credentials.[2]
Markey served in the U.S. House from 1976 until 2013, when he was elected to the Senate. He emphasized that he was an original co-sponsor of Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-Vt.) Medicare for All bill and that he co-authored the Green New Deal resolution with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).[3] Markey called Kennedy a "progressive in name only," saying he had not led on issues such as Medicare for All, climate change, and the demilitarization of police during his time in the U.S. House.[4]
Kennedy was first elected to the U.S. House in 2012. He said he led on issues such as affordable healthcare, immigration, mental health, and civil rights and that he was an original co-sponsor of the Green New Deal. He said the state needed a "new generation of leadership with the energy and courage to fight for change."[5][6] Kennedy criticized Markey's support of the 1994 crime bill and his opposition to busing as a method of integrating Boston's schools while Markey was a U.S. representative. Kennedy also said Markey had been absent from the state.[7][8]
Markey's endorsers included U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and the Working Families Party. Joe Kennedy was endorsed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and U.S. Reps. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), John Lewis (D-Ga.), and Mark Pocan (D-Wis.). To view more endorsements in the race, click here.
This page focuses on Massachusetts' United States Senate Democratic primary. For more in-depth information on the state's Republican primary and the general election, see the following pages:
- United States Senate election in Massachusetts, 2020 (September 1 Republican primary)
- United States Senate election in Massachusetts, 2020
Election procedure changes in 2020
Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.
Massachusetts modified its primary election process as follows:
- Voting procedures: Mail-in ballot applications to all voters in the state's September 1 primary election.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Candidates and election results
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Massachusetts
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Edward J. Markey | 55.4 | 782,694 |
 | Joseph Kennedy III | 44.5 | 629,359 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 1,935 | ||
| Total votes: 1,413,988 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways. Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey or Ballotpedia staff created a profile after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[9] Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
U.S. House of Representatives (Assumed office: 2013)
Biography: Kennedy received a bachelor's degree from Stanford University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. Kennedy served in the United States Peace Corps and was an assistant district attorney for Middlesex County. He is the great-nephew of former President John F. Kennedy.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Massachusetts in 2020.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: Yes
Political Office:
Biography: Markey received a bachelor's degree from Boston College and a J.D. from Boston College School of Law. He served in the U.S. Army Reserve and worked as a lawyer in private practice before entering public office.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Massachusetts in 2020.
Noteworthy primary endorsements
This section includes noteworthy endorsements issued in the primary, added as we learn about them. Click here to read how we define noteworthy primary endorsements. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.
| Democratic primary endorsements | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endorsement | Kennedy | Markey | ||||
| Newspapers and editorials | ||||||
| The Berkshire Eagle editorial board[10] | ✔ | |||||
| The Boston Globe editorial board[11] | ✔ | |||||
| Elected officials | ||||||
| U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)[13] | ✔ | |||||
| U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas)[14] | ✔ | |||||
| U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.)[14] | ✔ | |||||
| U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.)[14] | ✔ | |||||
| U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.)[15] | ✔ | |||||
| U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.)[16] | ✔ | |||||
| U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.)[16] | ✔ | |||||
| U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.)[17] | ✔ | |||||
| Individuals | ||||||
| Former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer[18] | ✔ | |||||
| Former Vice President Al Gore (D)[19] | ✔ | |||||
| Organizations | ||||||
| Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee[20] | ✔ | |||||
| Working Families Party[21] | ✔ | |||||
| MoveOn Political Action[22] | ✔ | |||||
Campaign advertisements
This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.
Joe Kennedy
Supporting Kennedy
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Opposing Markey
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Ed Markey
Supporting Markey
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Opposing Kennedy
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Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
| United States Senate election in Massachusetts, 2020: Democratic primary election polls | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Date |  Kennedy
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Markey
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Other | Undecided | Margin of error | Sample size | Sponsor |
| Emerson College | August 25-27, 2020 | 44% | 56% | -- | -- | 4.6 | 453 | WHDH |
| University of Massachusetts Lowell/YouGov | August 13-21, 2020 | 40% | 52% | 2% | 6% | 4.1 | 800 | -- |
| JMC Analytics | July 29-30, 2020 | 36% | 40% | -- | 24% | 4.4 | 500 | -- |
| Suffolk University | Feb. 26-29, 2020 | 42% | 36% | -- | 21% | 4.4 | 500 | -- |
| University of Massachusetts Amherst/WCVB | Feb. 18-24, 2020 | 36% | 39% | 4% | 21% | 5.9 | 400 | -- |
| Click [show] to see older poll results | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Date | Kennedy
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Markey
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Other | Undecided | Margin of error | Sample size | Sponsor |
| University of Massachusetts Lowell | Feb. 12-19, 2020 | 35% | 34% | 8% | 23% | 6.1 | 450 | -- |
Campaign finance
This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election.[23] It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees.[24] The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward J. Markey | Democratic Party | $14,466,754 | $15,051,879 | $1,642,211 | As of December 31, 2020 |
| Joseph Kennedy III | Democratic Party | $11,400,834 | $15,561,023 | $12,992 | As of December 31, 2020 |
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Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2020. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
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Satellite spending
- See also: Satellite spending
Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[25][26][27]
This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.
- New Leadership PAC, a super PAC, spent $1.6 million supporting Kennedy and $677,000 opposing Markey as of August 25, 2020.[28]
- The super PAC United for Massachusetts had spent $2.7 million supporting Markey as of August 25.[29] The group was created by Environment America Action Fund and the Sunrise Movement.[30]
Primaries in Masschusetts
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Massachusetts utilizes a semi-closed primary system. An unaffiliated voter is allowed to vote in the primary election of his or her choice.[31][32]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
General election race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[33]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[34][35][36]
| Race ratings: U.S. Senate election in Massachusetts, 2020 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| November 3, 2020 | October 27, 2020 | October 20, 2020 | October 13, 2020 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season. | |||||||||
See also
- United States Senate election in Massachusetts, 2020 (September 1 Republican primary)
- United States Senate election in Massachusetts, 2020
- United States Senate Democratic Party primaries, 2020
- United States Senate Republican Party primaries, 2020
- United States Senate elections, 2020
- U.S. Senate battlegrounds, 2020
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ To appear on the ballot in Massachusetts, prospective candidates must submit nomination papers for certification to the registrars of the cities or towns in which signatures were collected and to the Secretary of the Commonwealth. The local filing deadline must occur four weeks prior to the candidate's second filing deadline with the Secretary of the Commonwealth. In 2020, the local-level filing deadline was May 5 and the state-level filing deadline was June 2. Click here to learn more.
- ↑ WBUR, "Key Questions, Answered, As Markey And Kennedy Debate Monday Evening," June 1, 2020
- ↑ Boston.com, "Ed Markey says it took ‘two years’ for Joe Kennedy to support Medicare-for-All. Kennedy says it took Markey even longer," August 12, 2020
- ↑ Twitter, "Ed Markey on June 8, 2020," accessed August 24, 2020
- ↑ Joe Kennedy's 2020 campaign website, "About Joe," accessed August 24, 2020
- ↑ YouTube, "Fight for Change," July 21, 2020
- ↑ The Harvard Crimson, "Kennedy, Markey Clash Over Progressive Credentials in Third U.S. Senate Debate," June 9, 2020
- ↑ WBUR, "Markey Releases His Travel Records, Defends His Time Away From Massachusetts," July 28, 2020
- ↑ Candidate Connection surveys completed before September 26, 2019, were not used to generate candidate profiles. In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
- ↑ The Berkshire Eagle, "Our Opinion: Joe Kennedy for Senate," August 20, 2020
- ↑ The Boston Globe, "Send Ed Markey back to the Senate," updated July 28, 2020
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 USA Today, "In Senate bid, Joe Kennedy wants to take on 'broken system' that let Trump win: 'Far too urgent to wait,'" September 21, 2019
- ↑ CNN, "Pelosi endorses Joe Kennedy in Massachusetts Senate primary against Ed Markey," August 20, 2020
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Boston Magazine, "John Lewis, Joaquin Castro, and 16 Other Dems Just Endorsed Joe Kennedy," January 14, 2020
- ↑ Mass Live, "Election 2020: Rep. Adam Schiff, Massachusetts native and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, endorses Joe Kennedy III for Senate," August 3, 2020
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 MSN, "Nadler, Maloney endorse Markey in Senate primary," August 26, 2020
- ↑ CBS Boston, "Joe Kennedy, Ed Markey Neck-And-Neck In Fundraising For Massachusetts Senate Race," July 17, 2020
- ↑ The Hill, "Steyer endorses Markey in Massachusetts Senate primary," June 29, 2020
- ↑ MassLive, "Former Vice President Al Gore backs Sen. Ed Markey in heated Massachusetts Senate primary," August 25, 2020
- ↑ Politico, "Senate Dems' campaign arm backs Ed Markey over Joe Kennedy," September 10, 2019
- ↑ CNN, "Working Families Party endorses Massachusetts progressives Ed Markey and House challenger Alex Morse," August 6, 2020
- ↑ WBUR, "Progressive Group MoveOn Endorses Markey Over Kennedy, Says It Will Run Ads," August 12, 2020
- ↑ Fundraising by primary candidates can be found on the race's respective primary election page. Fundraising by general election candidates can be found on the race's general election page.
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2022 Quarterly Reports," accessed March 2, 2022
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed September 22, 2015
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed September 22, 2015
- ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," November 6, 2015
- ↑ Open Secrets, "New Leadership PAC Independent Expenditures," accessed August 25, 2020
- ↑ Open Secrets, "United for Massachusetts Independent Expenditures," accessed August 25, 2020
- ↑ MetroWest Daily News, "New super PAC to spend $900,000 promoting Markey," July 8, 2020
- ↑ NCSL, "State Primary Election Types," accessed October 3, 2024
- ↑ Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "How to Vote in a Primary," accessed October 3, 2024
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
