Joe Kennedy is running as though someone is chasing him.

That someone is Sen. Ed Markey, the incumbent, who Kennedy wants to defeat in the 2020 Democrat primary for the U.S. Senate.

And Markey just got the endorsement of former Gov. Michael Dukakis and his wife Kitty.

A third candidate, lawyer Shannon Liss-Riordan, a long shot, dropped out of the race.

Still, in the ordinary scheme of things, it would be the other way around. Kennedy, 38, the challenger, would be chasing Markey, 73, a Massachusetts political fixture who was first elected to public office before Kennedy was born.

After all, Markey has all the advantages of incumbency. If politics is about doing favors, which it is, Markey should be ahead. He has been delivering favors for years, which is why so many establishments Democrats support him, at least for now.

Unlike Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who abandoned the state to run for president, Markey has been on the job. “You can get him on the phone,” a state official who has dealt with Markey for years said. “He will get things done. He will do you a favor.”

Since the 2009 death of Sen. Ted Kennedy, Markey, seeking his second full six-year term — he served in the House before then — has become the go-to guy for Massachusetts in Washington. Most pols don’t even bother calling Warren.

This is not to say that Kennedy is removed from constituent service. Far from it. Kennedy learned a lot from his great uncle Ted Kennedy, who was a master at delivering federal largesse to Massachusetts. Joe Kennedy wants to do the same

Kennedy, in his fourth term as a U.S. representative from Newton, has, like Markey, a strong progressive record. He is also noted for his accessibility for which politicians in and around Beacon Hill give him high marks. That is why so many establishment Democrats are conflicted.

As one top Democrat put it, “My heart is with Markey, but my brain is with Kennedy,” meaning that, despite his heart, his brain is telling him that Kennedy will win.

This contest, however, is not going to be decided by establishment Democrats. Nor is it going to be decided on the issues.

Both candidates are progressives, alike on practically all the issues, which is why they have not gone after each other. There is little to attack. Kennedy is a younger version of Markey. It is trading in your old, beat-up Ford for a new one.

So far, the edge goes to Kennedy. He is not only slightly ahead in the polls, but he is raising more money than Markey, and is running what appears to be a more vigorous campaign.

The latest fundraising report has Kennedy sitting on a campaign war chest of $5.5 million to Markey’s $4.4 million. It is not that wide of a gap, but Kennedy in the last three months of 2019 raised more than $1 million more than Markey did.

And when it comes to retail campaigning, Markey will have to go some to keep pace with Kennedy. A dogged campaigner, Kennedy believes the first job of a senator is to show up. And he has shown up, tracking down voters throughout the state at a pace not seen in years. There is no gathering too small for him. He‘d talk to a telephone pole if it could vote.

Kennedy is also a big hit when he campaigns among minority groups and people whose first language is Spanish. It is like music to their ears when Kennedy, who is fluent in Spanish, speaks to them in their native tongue. Kennedy learned Spanish when he worked for the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic.

It is way too early to call this campaign for Kennedy. Markey is a pro who has been around. He knows the issues, particularly climate change, which is a big deal among younger voters. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has endorsed him.

But Kennedy has made climate change an issue, too. He will have strong support among young voters as well as his share of celebrity endorsements. This includes the support of Vicki Kennedy, wife of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, who will soon hit the campaign trail for him.

It is true that you can’t beat somebody with nobody. It is also true that you can beat somebody with somebody, especially if that somebody is a Kennedy, this time named Joe.

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