By Geena Monahan-For the North Star Reporter
A newcomer to the Massachusetts political scene, Alex Rikleen has launched a campaign to challenge longtime incumbent Sen. Ed Markey in next year’s Senate race, pledging judicial reform, expanded healthcare and stronger action against climate change.
“I think that Democrats in Washington are playing it safe and their strategy depends way too heavily on waiting and hoping that we win more seats in the next election or even the election after that,” Rikleen said on why he has thrown his hat in the ring as Markey’s only Democratic challenger so far.
Rikleen, a Massachusetts native, grew up in Wayland before earning a degree in secondary education and history from Boston College. He spent years working as a history teacher, professor at Framingham State University, and as a fantasy sports writer and analyst. Rikleen recently settled in Acton with his wife and two young children, spending his free time volunteering at their school as president of the PTO.
Although Rikleen has long been interested in politics – previously volunteering for campaigns and serving as a delegate to the Massachusetts State Convention – he said running for a seat in the U.S. Senate was never part of his plan.
That all changed after the Senate hearings in February to nominate Kash Patel as director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which Rikleen said became his proverbial “last straw” and spurred his entry into politics. While all 49 Democratic senators voted against Patel’s nomination, which ultimately passed 51-49, Rikleen said he would have liked to see more of a fight against a nominee he called “dangerous.”
“The Democrats went about it like business as usual; they voted against it but didn’t try anything different to oppose this nomination,” said Rikleen. “They let the Senate adjourn, went on a bipartisan trip to Europe and came back and didn’t try anything out of the ordinary to call attention to what a profoundly atypical appointment this was.”
Rikleen came before the Attleboro Democratic City Committee at its monthly meeting on Thursday, Sept. 4, as part of a series of speaking engagements across Massachusetts to familiarize residents with his name and message. He said he has been pleased by how his reception by the Democratic Party has gone so far, and even when the response hasn’t been favorable, he found his first campaign informative and exciting.
‘It only takes one’
To Rikleen, the Senate is a place where individual senators, even those in the minority, can act boldly and assertively to enact real change and push back against President Donald Trump’s administration. As a history teacher, Rikleen said he has studied the poor outcomes and knows what can happen to a democracy when the opposition party plays it safe.
“It only takes one senator to place a hold on a nomination, deny unanimous consent or force a quorum call,” said Rikleen. “There are a number of other steps that require more than one senator, but far fewer than a majority, to engage in other tactics that would stall or interrupt Republicans’ abilities to appoint these unqualified nominees.”
Rikleen acknowledged the challenge in running against Markey, who has held his Senate seat for more than 12 years, and said he launched his campaign early as part of his strategy to increase opportunities to speak to constituents and get his message out. While Rikleen said he doesn’t necessarily disagree with the policies championed by Markey and the Democratic Party, he argued that voters are ready for less talk and more action.
When asked what his plan would be if elected, Rikleen said step one is to get Democrats back control of the presidency while keeping Americans safe in the meantime.
“Once we’re back in power, we have to start with the structural reforms that will prevent a future authoritarian crisis and enable us to pass the various policy positions that all these other Democrats around the country talk a lot about, but have made very little progress on for many years,” said Rikleen.
In 2024 Markey announced his intention to run again for a third term, and has received endorsements from House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, U.S Rep. Richard Neal and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, among many other high-profile Democrats.
According to the Federal Election Commission, Rikleen has raised $29,834 as of July 1 to fund his grassroots campaign, which he described as “free of generational wealth.” Markey, by comparison, reported $1,399,495 as of the start of the fiscal year, according to the FEC.
“To people who have long supported Markey, Democrats are playing it safe and ‘better than most’ is not good enough in a moment like this,” said Rikleen. “There’s a long time between now and Election Day – you don’t have to decide right now how you want to vote – but if you think that there is truth in my message and you want this message to spread and continue, invest in it.”
Rikleen plans to speak next at the Mansfield Democratic Town Committee on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at 7:30 p.m., and encouraged residents to visit his website, alexrikleen.us, to learn more about his campaign, priorities and ways to get involved.