Markey faces uphill push for prog agenda
U.S. Sen. Edward Markey may have cruised to victory on the wings of the progressive movement, but making good on his promises to push the left’s agenda through in Washington could prove a much tougher task.
Up by 10 points over U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III with nearly all the vote tallied, Markey declared Wednesday that his young, progressive backers “sent a very strong message to the rest of the country” about the need for “fundamental change.”
“What the voters of Massachusetts are saying in a clear way is that they want change,” Markey said at a press conference. “They want that agenda on the floor of the U.S. Senate.”
Markey harnessed the power of progressive groups and leaders and positioned himself as a champion of liberal policies to beat back a challenge from the scion of the state’s premier political dynasty.
His triumph is being lauded as a significant win for the left. Now Markey — who’s likely to return to the Senate despite a GOP challenge from Kevin O’Connor — has to get his agenda passed.
“We’re going to have to work hard for it,” Markey said. “We’re going to have to put together a coalition that ensures that on the floor of the House and Senate next year there is a progressive, change-oriented agenda that does have the votes to pass.”
Markey’s calling for a “Democratic sweep” of the House, Senate and the Oval Office to get that done.
But even under a Biden administration, experts say Markey and his fellow progressives could face an uphill battle.
“It’s going to be very hard, or at least challenging, to put together the necessary coalition to govern given the extreme divisions within the Democratic Party between progressives and centrists,” Boston University professor and political historian Thomas Whalen said. But younger progressives are “using this as ground zero to build their movement.”
UMass Lowell pollster John Cluverius said Markey, a four-decade Washington veteran, could serve as a “bridge” between establishment Democrats and the insurgent left.
“It’s highly unlikely that by next year, Biden is signing a Green New Deal and ‘Medicare for All,’ ” Cluverius said. “But Markey is going to be opportunistic. I think it’s fair to say that Markey will try to pass as much of the Green New Deal piecemeal as he can.”
Markey, who long flew under the radar in Washington, amassed significant capital through his comefrom-behind win that he can now wield on Capitol Hill, Democratic strategist Tony Cignoli said.
“It is a tall order,” Cignoli said. “But right now he’s got some star power.”