Sen. Ed Markey. | Alex Brandon, file/AP Photo Elections Senate Dems' campaign arm backs Ed Markey over Joe Kennedy

Senate Democrats’ campaign committee is siding with incumbent Sen. Ed Markey over potential insurgent challenger Rep. Joe Kennedy III, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto said in an interview on Tuesday.

The Nevada senator, who chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said the DSCC “will be there” for Markey if Kennedy launches a challenge.


“That’s why we were created, to support our incumbents. And Ed Markey is not only an incumbent but he knows the issues that are important to Massachusetts. He’s been out front on so many issues, including climate change,” Cortez Masto said. “He’s the candidate.”

The 38-year-old Kennedy has formed an exploratory committee as he considers a run for Massachusetts’ Senate seat, which is held by the 73-year-old Markey. Kennedy said he’s been advised to wait his turn by some in the party, but wrote in an August Facebook post that he’s “not sure this is a moment for waiting.”

It’s unclear whether Kennedy is serious about running against Markey in a primary or is trying to scare the senator into retirement. Kennedy also could be trying to increase visibility in case Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wins the presidency and the state holds a special election for her seat. Warren has endorsed Markey.

A race between Markey and Kennedy would be a major distraction for Democrats trying to defeat President Donald Trump and take back the Senate majority, pitting the dean of the state’s delegation against a scion of Massachusetts political royalty. Kennedy has led early polls, but the Massachusetts primary isn’t until September. The filing deadline is June.

Republicans are hopeful a contested primary between the two Democrats could suck away resources from the larger battle for the Senate. Cortez Masto said she couldn’t say whether the DSCC would need to expend resources in the race.

“I’m not going to speculate. It’s too far in and we’ll see how it plays out,” she said. “But at the end of the day, yes, the DSCC will be there to support him.”