Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) announced Thursday he will run for U.S. Senate in the special election that will be held to fill Sen. John Kerry’s seat if he is confirmed as Secretary of State.
“I have decided to run for the U.S. Senate because this fight is too important,” Markey wrote in a statement released Thursday night. “There is so much at stake.”
Markey is the longest serving congressman in the Massachusetts delegation; he was first elected in 1976. He represents the 7th District, suburbs north and west of Boston. He ran for Senate once before in 1984, but withdrew from the race. He is the first major contender to announce his intention to vie for Kerry’s seat.
Two other Massachusetts congressman–Michael Capuano of Somerville, and Stephen Lynch of South Boston–have hinted at throwing their hats in the ring. As the Boston Globe points out, “Running in a special election is a low-risk venture for House incumbents—if they lose they would still be members of Congress and able to run for reelection as favored incumbents in 2014.”








