Pelosi Backs Kennedy Over Ocasio-Cortez’s Pick in Massachusetts

(Bloomberg) -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi endorsed Representative Joe Kennedy’s bid to unseat Senator Ed Markey in the Massachusetts Democratic primary, pitting her clout against Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other progressives who are backing the incumbent.

Pelosi argued that the 39-year-old member of the Kennedy clan represents the party’s future, flipping the script used by Ocasio-Cortez and her allies that Democrats need to reflect generational change in political power. Markey is 74 and has served in Congress since 1976.

“Never before have the times demanded that we elect courageous leaders as today, which is why I’m pleased to join so many of my colleagues in endorsing Joe Kennedy III for Senate,” Pelosi said in a statement. “In 2018, when we took back the House, Joe campaigned across America to make that victory possible and that’s why so many of his supporters are Freshman Members of Congress who Joe helped elect.”

The primary is Sept. 1 and polls have indicated it will be a close vote. The winner of the Democratic primary will be heavily favored in the general election in blue-state Massachusetts.

Pelosi’s statement didn’t mention Markey, who served for decades with her in the House and who she appointed to chair a special climate committee in 2007. Markey has made climate change a signature issue and partnered with Ocasio-Cortez on the Green New Deal.

Ocasio-Cortez teed off on Pelosi’s endorsement on Twitter, referring to House Democratic leadership’s previous efforts to thwart party primaries against incumbents.

“No one gets to complain about primary challenges again,” said Ocasio-Cortez, who won her seat after defeating long-time Representative Joe Crowley in New York’s Democratic primary two years ago.

Alexandra Rojas, the executive director of Justice Democrats, the progressive group that backed Ocasio-Cortez and other progressives in primaries, ripped Pelosi’s move after the party leadership has repeatedly backed incumbents over progressive challengers.

“This move reeks of hypocrisy: the party is setting one standard for progressives and one entirely different standard for the establishment,” Rojas said.

Justice Democrats are backing a candidate against another longtime Democratic incumbent in the state’s House primary. That contest is between Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal and Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse. Pelosi has appeared in an ad on Neal’s behalf.

Kennedy said he was honored to have Pelosi’s backing. “There is no one who has stood up to Donald Trump and defended our party’s values and our country’s future more,” he said.

Markey praised Pelosi on Twitter, calling her “an effective leader who has shattered glass ceilings throughout her career” and congratulated Kennedy on securing her support.

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