Kennedy holds 6-point lead over Markey in Massachusetts Senate primary: poll

Massachusetts Rep. Joe Kennedy (D) holds a six-point lead over longtime incumbent Sen. Ed Markey (D) in the Bay State’s Democratic Senate primary, according to a Suffolk University/WBZ/Boston Globe survey released on Sunday. 

Forty-two percent of voters said they supported Kennedy, while 36 percent backed Markey in the poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points. 

Around 28 percent of voters said they were “undecided” on if they believed Markey should be reelected, while 19 percent said they were “undecided” on the senator’s job performance.  

A University of Massachusetts-Lowell survey released earlier this month also showed a tighter race, with Kennedy polling at 35 percent support, while Markey came in with 34 percent support. That poll’s margin of error was plus or minus 6.1 percentage points. 

Kennedy, the grandson of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, is running for the seat which was once held by his great-uncles former President John F. Kennedy and former Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.). 

The 39-year-old progressive lawmaker is promising to bring generational change and a fresh perspective to the Senate as Washington remains divided on partisan lines. Kennedy has touted his positions on a number of issues, including immigration and health care, in the primary. 

Meanwhile, Markey, 73, is relying on his experience in Washington, touting a long list of achievements including co-authoring the Green New Deal. 

The poll was conducted on February 26-28 among 500 likely voters in the Democratic primary. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.