By Jonathan Landay
Sept 21 (Reuters) - U.S. Representative Joseph Kennedy III,a scion of the famed political dynasty, on Saturday launched a2020 primary challenge against fellow Democrat Edward Markey forhis U.S. Senate seat from Massachusetts.
Kennedy's decision to seek the Democratic nomination to oneof the state's two U.S. Senate seats set up what will be aclosely watched battle between the 38-year-old grandson of thelate Senator Robert F. Kennedy and the 73-year-old Markey, thestate's longest-serving member of Congress.
Robert F. Kennedy, who also served as U.S. attorney general,was assassinated in June 1968 as he campaigned for president.
"I'm running for U.S. Senate," Joseph Kennedy III said in apost on his Facebook and Twitter pages. "This isn't a time forwaiting, for sitting on the sidelines, or for playing by rulesthat don't work anymore. This is the fight of our lives, thefight of my generation — and I'm all in."
The announcement was posted minutes before he kicked off hiscampaign with a speech in East Boston, surrounded by familymembers and local supporters.
He recounted his family's long ties to the neighborhood,noting that an ancestor settled there in 1848 and that hisgrand-uncle, President John F. Kennedy, and father, formerRepresentative Joseph Kennedy II, represented it in Congress.
He did not mention Markey, instead launching a broadsideagainst President Donald Trump and the Senate's Republicanmajority, accusing them of policies that have hurt workingAmericans and the environment.
Joseph Kennedy III and Markey both belong to their party'sprogressive wing. But Kennedy brings his family's star power tonext year's race, potentially giving Markey one of the toughestcontests of his political career.
Markey was first elected to the House of Representatives in1976. He won a 2013 special election to a Senate vacancy and thefollowing year comfortably won re-election to the seat.
During his House career, Markey was one of a handful oflawmakers who led the fight for legislation, which narrowlypassed the House in 2009, to bring down carbon emissions thatcontribute to climate change.
Markey has earned the endorsement of many of Massachusetts'top Democrats. They include the senior U.S. senator, ElizabethWarren, a leading contender to be the Democratic Party's nomineeto run against Trump next year.
Warren endorsed Markey despite a long friendship with JosephKennedy III, who was one of her former law school students andhelped launch her presidential campaign.
News reports say that early polling indicated that JosephKennedy III started the race as the front-runner.
Massachusetts is a strong Democratic state and the winner ofthe party primary next year is likely to win in the Nov. 3,2020, general election.(Reporting by Jonathan Landay in Washington and Daniel Wallisin New YorkEditing by Matthew Lewis)