'Now Or Never' For Kennedy To Run For Senate, Says Chuck Todd

U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III, D-Mass., speaks during a news conference, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019, in Newton, Mass. Kennedy III, a scion of one of America's most storied political families, is taking steps to challenge U.S. Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., in the 2020 Democratic primary, setting the stage for what could be a bitter intra-party battle split along generational lines.

Hannah Uebele is a producer for Under the Radar with Callie Crossley and previously worked as associate producer for Boston Public Radio. She graduated from Tufts University with a B.S. in English and Environmental Studies. She's a proud Delawarean but has found herself saying "wicked" more and more often, so the Bostonian metamorphosis is well underway.Contact: hannah_uebele@wgbh.org

September 19, 2019

Updated August 07, 2023

On Saturday morning, Massachusetts Rep. Joseph Kennedy III is expected to announce that he'll be running against Sen. Ed Markey.

Chuck Todd, host of "Meet the Press Daily" on MSNBC, spoke with Boston Public Radio on Thursday about the timing of Kennedy's challenge.

"I understand why [Kennedy's] doing it now," Todd said. "Kennedy sees the changing faces of the Democratic party, and I think he realizes if he waits for the next Senate opening, he might be third or fourth in line. While I think he wishes he doesn't want to have to beat Markey to get this Senate seat, I think he realized if he ever wants to be a senator, it's now or never."