Rep. Joe Kennedy III. (Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for RFK Human Rights )
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — In a Facebook post Monday morning, Congressman Joe Kennedy III addressed rumblings that he was interested in running against fellow Democrat Sen. Ed Markey in 2020.
"Over the past few weeks I've begun to consider a run for the U.S. Senate," Kennedy wrote. "This isn't a decision I'm approaching lightly and -- to be completely candid -- I wasn't expecting to share my thoughts so soon."
Kennedy said he hasn't reached a decision about whether or not to run, and that he's mainly considering how a senate run would affect his young family.
"I'm thinking about what I have to offer Massachusetts voters, what is most important in this political moment, and what kind of party Democrats need to be building for the future," he wrote.
The congressman also addressed the backlash he's seen from people who believe it would be wrong to start an internal Democratic Party fight with a long-standing incumbent.
"I hear the folks who say I should wait my turn, but with due respect -- I'm not sure this is a moment for waiting," he wrote. "Our system has been letting down a lot of people for a long time, and we can't fix it if we don't challenge it. I've got some ideas on how to do that."
Sen. Markey addressed the reports last week, saying only, "Joe and I, we speak regularly, and we will continue to talk."
That same day, Markey released a video in which Massachusetts' other senator and 2020 presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren endorsed him.
Kennedy said he's grateful to hear from so many people about his potential run, and added he would have more to say on the matter soon.
Read Kennedy's full post below.
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