The Slatest

Well that didn’t take long. A day after veteran lawmaker Rep. Ed Markey said he would run to take over Sen. John Kerry’s seat if he is confirmed as secretary of state, several influential Democrats publicly expressed their support. Kerry himself released a statement saying that he was “excited to learn of and support his decision to run for the United States Senate.” Markey also got the public support from Victoria Kennedy, late Sen. Edward Kennedy’s widow, as well as the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, reports CNN.

The string of endorsements means that what seemed like “a wide-open and potentially crowded Democratic race has begun to resemble a coronation,” points out the Washington Post. The endorsements are a clear indication that Democrats want to unite around an experienced candidate for the special election. "The Democratic Party is … trying to clear the field of any other candidates to avoid a primary,” a Democratic strategist tells Politico. Markey, who was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1976, has a little more than $3 million in the bank, which should help him gain name recognition across the state. Still, there are potential downsides to such an overwhelming show of support so early as it could help other Democrats portray him as the candidate of the establishment.