It’s your classic case of words without action, and the times call for action.

That’s according to Alex Rikleen, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey’s first official Democratic primary challenger. He’s a former sports writer and college professor.

Rikleen said Markey has done a respectable job representing the Bay State, but for someone who claims that Donald Trump represents an “existential” threat, he seems stuck in the mode of business as usual.

Rikleen said if Markey isn’t going to rise to the challenge of the moment, then someone should step in and do it for him. And that’s why he jumped in the race.

“In the last campaign the fundamental premise of the Democratic argument was that Donald Trump represented an existential threat — it was a line that the Dems and Ed Markey had not used previously. When I look at how Dems have responded now that he has taken over, I see no difference between how they are using their power now, versus any of the previous administrations,” he said.

Rikleen is a 38-year-old father of two from Acton (though he was born in Boston), who has left his jobs as a fantasy sports writer and Framingham State University adjunct faculty member to take on Markey, who’s pursuing a third full term.

Rikleen said he won’t run against 80-year-old Markey’s age, but will take on his accomplishments, instead. Rikleen doesn’t see much there. In the past, Markey used his position to hold up appointments, but he’s not doing that now, Rikleen said.

“Markey and other Democrats are unable or unwilling to take their own caution seriously,” he said.

Confronted with that realization, he said, he was left with little choice but to announce his first candidacy for office.

“Isn’t the premise of this country that when you believe in something you step forward?” he asked.

Rikleen said that he’s sure he would agree with famously progressive Markey on a number of policy positions. Where they would differ, he said, would be on “prioritization.”

The former teacher said that he would love to live in a world where constructive policy discussions took place and made a difference, but that’s a fantasy in today’s society, he said. To fix that, Rikleen said, the Bay State needs a senator that will address the “structural” issues preventing polite policy disagreement.

“With trying to get back to a less politicized court, a more fair voting system, and electoral politics that depends less on fundraising, I think you can get to a place where those policy debates matter more than they do in our current environment,” he said.

Rikleen is past the exploratory phase of campaigning and has officially launched his bid for the party nomination, but he isn’t the only person considering a run against Markey. Earlier this month local nonprofit organizer Earl Martin Phalen, also a Democrat, announced he would form an exploratory committee to consider a run.

In the meantime, Rikleen plans to put as much effort into spreading his message as possible.

“If I start doing well, Markey is a smart politician and he’s likely to react. And if he starts engaging in some of the tactics I’m advocating before election day, great. I sincerely believe that’s good for the country,” he said.

Rikleen said that his campaign will feature color pink prominently, in solidarity with his son, who was bullied at preschool for liking the color. His campaign is one against bullies, he said, and will center around community service as he goes.

“Any event that I organize will include some sort of community service – I’m trying to build that as the core of the campaign. It’s one of the many ways I’m trying to be different than a traditional candidate,” he said.

Markey’s campaign did not return a request for comment by press time.