Sen. Ed Markey talks climate change at Stonehill College with challenger

EASTON, Mass. — The election is a year away, but Senator Edward Markey is already working to keep his Senate seat, debating climate change Sunday night at Stonehill College. But only one of his opponents showed up.

Two of the three candidates for Senate participated in Sunday's debate, but each says we can expect to hear a lot about climate change as the push toward the primaries continues.

On the campus of Stonehill College, it was billed as a climate change debate. But between two democratic candidates for Senate, there was little disagreement.

Senator Ed Markey and one of his challengers for the seat – Shannon Liss Riordan, a labor attorney – both emphasized the urgency of the issue.

Senator Markey focused on his role in the proposed green new deal, which gained applause. Liss-Riordan said she agreed with the goals in the deal but said that it doesn’t offer a clear path on how to get there.

For the primaries, local politicians agree that climate change will continue to be a big topic.

"I have constituents who worry, 'am I going to have kids, because what kind of world are they going to live in?'" said State Senator Jamie Eldridge (D - Acton)

"It's not too early to talk about it in this campaign," said Suzanne Bump, the State Auditor. "We need to have this issue front and center."

Senator Markey's other challenger, representative Joe Kennedy III, declined the invite to the debate. His campaign has said that the congressman is open to climate-focused debates but said debates in 2020 would be more effective.

Cox Media Group