New super PAC to spend $900,000 promoting Markey

By Matt Murphy/Statehouse News Service
Posted Jul 8, 2020

A new super PAC formed by environmental advocates backing U.S. Sen. Edward Markey’s reelection campaign plans to spend $900,000 on a new television and digital ad campaign in July that will cast the incumbent as a progressive leader who recognized the challenges of the times -- climate change, opioid abuse and access to health care - before they became national crises.

The ad campaign puts a pro-Markey message in front of television viewers for the first time in Markey’s high-profile Democratic primary against U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III. It also puts super PAC spending on Markey’s behalf back in the spotlight.

The ad has been paid for by United for Massachusetts, a new federal super PAC formed in cooperation between Environment America Action Fund and the Sunrise Movement. The creation of the super PAC marks an expansion of the effort already underway by Environment Massachusetts to financially support Markey’s reelection.

“Ed Markey is one of the great environmental champions of our time, so when we saw he had a serious challenge in his race we as environmentalists felt we needed to stand by this champion,” said Johanna Neumann, spokeswoman for the Environment America Action Fund.

“He was a progressive environmentalist before that was cool,” she added.

Environment Massachusetts planned in June to spend $200,000 on print and digital advertising in support of Markey, tapping a super PAC - the Environment America Action Fund - controlled by its national parent organization.

The super PAC is also the largest donor to the United for Massachusetts independent expenditure committee, having put $300,000 into the effort so far, according to officials behind the super PAC.

“It’s hard running against a Kennedy in Massachusetts,” Neumann said. “They have name recognition and fundraising prowess in line with the Kardashians and we want to make sure we can have Ed Markey fighting on our behalf.”

The 30-second ad that will begin airing Wednesday portrays Markey as someone who over the course of his career has led the fight for health care for all before the COVID-19 pandemic, pushed back against drug companies before the explosion of the opioid epidemic, and challenged the fossil fuel industry by working to create a movement for clean energy before climate change became a crisis.

“We expect our leaders to do the right thing in times of crisis. The real leaders take action before,” the narrator states.

The ad will run on broadcast, cable and regional stations in the greater Springfield area this month, as well as online.

Kennedy has been on television for close to two months, sinking $2.4 million into two television ads that ran in May and June, the last one focused on racism at a moment when Black Americans were protesting in the street over police brutality.

The two Democrats last week both reported raising $1.9 million in the second quarter of 2020, and Markey had $4.8 million in cash on hand to Kennedy’s $4.7 million.

The message of the latest ad for Markey, which extends beyond just the Malden Democrat’s environmental record, reflects the broadening interests of the donors and interest groups contributing to the super PAC’s efforts, officials involved said.

Kennedy has tried for months to prod Markey into signing a pledge to reject outside spending in their race, similar to the “People’s Pledge” Markey signed in his first campaign for U.S. Senate when he ran in the primary against U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch.

Kennedy also disavowed a group of supporters who publicly indicated they were forming a super PAC on his behalf, asking them to stop. 

Markey, however, has refused to reject super PAC spending in his reelection campaign, indicating he does not want to silence progressive voices on the left who have positive messages to share.

Following billionaire philanthropist and former presidential candidate Tom Steyer’s endorsement of Markey last week, Kennedy said he was calling on Markey to sign the pledge “for the last time.” Kennedy noted that in 2013 Markey had distanced himself from Steyer’s efforts to spend on his behalf in his special election for U.S. Senate against Lynch.

“I have made it clear that I want to run this race without Super PACs, without dark money, and focused solely on the issues and on the merits of our candidacies,” Kennedy said. “That’s why, so far, I have rejected Super PAC money on my behalf. From day one of the campaign, I have asked Senator Markey to sign the same pledge he signed seven years earlier. But Senator Markey –– a so-called progressive champion –– has refused and already allowed dark money to infiltrate this race.”

Asked about the criticism of super PAC spending by Kennedy and his campaign, Neumann said, “I think it really comes down to following the money.”

“Environment America Action Fund and Environment Massachusetts are doing this totally above board. All contributions are readily available in our FEC filing and by-and-large it’s made up by small donors who believe in protecting our air, water and open space,” Neumann said.

United for Massachusetts super PAC formed with the Federal Election Commission on June 2, but has not yet filed any fundraising or spending reports.