Ed Markey

Ed Markey
Name	Ed Markey
Caption	Official portrait, 2013
State	Massachusetts
Jr/sr	United States Senator
Alongside	Elizabeth Warren
Term start	July 16, 2013
Predecessor	Mo Cowan
State1	Massachusetts
Term start1	November 2, 1976
Term end1	July 15, 2013
Predecessor1	Torbert Macdonald
Successor1	Katherine Clark
District1	7th (1976–2013), 5th (2013)
Party	Democratic
Birth name	Edward John Markey
Birth date	11 July 1946
Birth place	Malden, Massachusetts, U.S.
Spouse	Susan Blumenthal, 2017
Education	Boston College (BA, JD)
Website	markey.senate.gov

Ed Markey is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, serving since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served for over 36 years in the United States House of Representatives, representing several districts in the Greater Boston area. Throughout his career, he has been a prominent advocate for environmental policy, telecommunications, and consumer protection legislation.

Early life and education

Edward John Markey was born in Malden, Massachusetts, to a working-class family. He attended Malden Catholic High School before enrolling at Boston College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in history. He remained at Boston College Law School, receiving his Juris Doctor degree in 1972. During his education, he was influenced by the political climate of the Vietnam War and the Civil rights movement.

Early political career

After law school, Markey was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar and began his political career. In 1973, he was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives, representing parts of Malden and Medford. He served two terms, focusing on issues like utility rates and government transparency, before successfully running for a seat in the United States Congress.

U.S. House of Representatives

Markey was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in a 1976 special election following the death of Representative Torbert Macdonald. He represented Massachusetts's 7th congressional district for most of his tenure, which was renumbered as the Massachusetts's 5th congressional district after the 2010 United States Census. He served as chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. He was a key author of significant legislation, including the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and co-authored the Green New Deal resolution with Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. His long service made him one of the most senior members of the Democratic Caucus of the United States House of Representatives.

U.S. Senate

Markey entered the 2013 United States Senate special election in Massachusetts following the resignation of John Kerry, who became United States Secretary of State. He won the Democratic primary against Stephen Lynch and then defeated Republican nominee Gabriel Gomez in the general election. He was sworn into the United States Senate in July 2013, joining Senator Elizabeth Warren. He won a full term in the 2014 United States Senate election in Massachusetts and was re-elected in 2020, defeating challenger Kevin O'Connor. In the Senate, he serves on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Political positions and legislation

Markey is a progressive Democrat known for his focus on climate change, technology policy, and nuclear disarmament. He was the lead Senate sponsor of the Green New Deal and has championed bills like the Climate Leadership and Environmental Action for our Nation's Future Act. He has been a longtime critic of the nuclear power industry and an advocate for net neutrality rules. On foreign policy, he has supported the Iran nuclear deal and been a vocal opponent of the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen. He also played a significant role in laws such as the Vehicle Theft Law Enforcement Act and the National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting Act.

Electoral history

Markey has won election to Congress numerous times from his solidly Democratic district and state. Key elections include his first 1976 House election, his 2013 Senate special election victory, and his successful re-election campaigns in 2014 and 2020. His 2020 primary contest against Representative Joe Kennedy III was a closely watched race within the Democratic Party.

Category:1946 births Category:Living people Category:United States Senators from Massachusetts Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts