The News
Four Senate Democrats opted against reelection bids next year. Could there be more? There’s some buzz in the Democratic Caucus about two progressive senators’ futures — and they offered two different answers when asked about their future plans.
Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., 68, who won his seat in 2008, told Semafor that he’s still weighing whether to run and expects to make an announcement in the second quarter, which means within the next month.
Then there’s Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., 78, who said last year that he’s running and defended his decision. He dismissed chatter that he might be reconsidering. “I’ve already announced,” he told Semafor.
Both senators are steadily climbing the seniority ranks: Markey is the ranking member on the Small Business Committee and Merkley is the top Democrat on the Budget Committee, and both have upward opportunities if they serve an additional term.