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Us Senate Race

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Markey Leads Gomez in New Suffolk/WHDH Poll

Congressman leads Gabriel Gomez by 17 points.

A new Suffolk University/7NEWS (WHDH) poll shows a strong lead for Democratic U.S. Congressman Edward Markey over Republican businessman and former U.S. Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez in the race for the U.S. Senate special election. The poll of 500 likely voters has Markey at 52 percent and Gomez at 35 percent. Eleven percent of voters in the poll were undecided. A third-party candidate, Richard Heos of the Twelve Visions Party, got 1 percent and another 1 percent refused to respond. David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center in Boston, said along with the announcement of the poll that Markey has "a large lead over his Republican opponent who voters are unsure about." Indeed, 32 percent of those polled said …

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Lynch, Markey Debate Health Care, Outside Funding

Candidates for U.S. Senate Democratic nomination squared off in Lowell Monday.

U.S. Congressmen Stephen Lynch and Edward Markey met in their second debate Monday ahead of the Democratic U.S. Senate special primary in a contest that contained few fireworks outside of an exchange on health care. The debate, held at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and sponsored by the college and the Boston Herald, lasted about 45 minutes and touched a wide variety of issues on which the two Democrats mostly agreed. An early question was asked about the candidates' positions on the Affordable Care Act. Markey (D-Malden), who represents Melrose, voted in favor of the bill that passed in 2010 while Lynch (D-South Boston) was one of few Democrats who opposed it. Markey said voting for the bill was the "proudest vote of my …

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Lynch, Markey Spar Over Health Care, Bank Bailouts

Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate debated Wednesday night at the Channel 5 studios in Needham.

In the days leading up to the first Democratic U.S. Senate debate, U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-South Boston) has been called upon frequently to explain the vote he took against the health care reform bill in 2010. Wednesday night, Lynch and U.S. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Malden), who represents Melrose, went several rounds on the topic. They faced-off for 30 minutes at the Channel 5 studios in Needham following a contest among the three declared Republican candidates. For Markey, President Obama's initiative, aimed at universal health care coverage, was "the proudest vote of my career." "Steve, when that vote came up you were wrong," Markey said. For Lynch, taxes and a lopsided deal for insurance companies were among the problems that outweighted …

Republican Senate Hopefuls Call for Repeal of DOMA in Debate

GOP candidates for U.S. Senate debated Wednesday night at the Channel 5 studios in Needham.

The Republican candidates for U.S. Senate leaned on their diverse backgrounds to explain positions on issues ranging from the economy and debt reduction to gay marriage Wednesday night. Gabriel Gomez, a former Navy SEAL and businessman from Cohasset, said that hearing from a variety of perspectives served him well in the military and that he would bring those lessons to bear working with fellow Republicans and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. State Rep. Dan Winslow (R-Norfolk), saying "Obamacare is bad for Massachusetts" and simply layers federal bureacracy on top of the state's system, highlighted an upcoming legislative proposal on Beacon Hill to reduce health care costs. Former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan talked about making …

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

U.S. Senate Candidates Face Off in Debate Wednesday Night

The forum will feature Democratic and Republican challengers in Needham at WCVB.

Five candidates seeking the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by John Kerry will debate for the first time in one place Wednesday night in Needham. The two Democrats and three Republicans vying for the vacated position will face each other in two separate, 30-minute debates in an event sponsored by the Boston Media Consortium and held at the Channel 5 studios. The debate will air live from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will be moderated by R.D. Sahl. Patch will be among the media organizations covering the event. The primary election is April 30. On the Democratic side, U.S. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Malden), who represents Melrose, will square off against U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-South Boston). In the latest UMass Lowell poll, Markey leads Lynch 50 …

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Who’s the Frontrunner in GOP Senate Primary?

One candidate has name recognition, but experts say no one has separated themselves from the field yet.

The window for the three combatants for the Republican nomination in the U.S. Senate special election to make a name for themselves is a small one, with the April 30 primary just seven weeks away. Observers don’t believe there is a clear frontrunner at this point among the field of State Rep. Dan Winslow (R-Norfolk), former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan and former Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez. But strong fundraising, advertising and ground operations could change that quickly. Frank Talty, co-director of the UMass-Lowell Center For Public Opinion, believes Sullivan has a “slight advantage” at the moment because of his previous job, but not enough to pull away from Winslow and Gomez at the moment. “He had received some media attention in that …

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Five Submit Required Signatures for U.S. Senate Race

Two Democrats and three Republicans submitted the needed 10,000 names.

Two Democrats and three Republicans submitted the required number of signatures to run in the special election for U.S. Senate, according to the Boston Globe. U.S. Reps. Edward Markey (D-Malden) and Stephen Lynch (D-South Boston) each filed more than double the 10,000 certified signatures required. Markey, who represents Melrose, led the way with nearly 34,000 signatures, while Lynch had just over 25,000. On the Republican side, former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan filed nearly 19,000 signatures, followed by former Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez of Cohasset at almost 17,000 and state Rep. Daniel Winslow of Norfolk at more than 13,000. Those totals only include those signatures submitted to the Secretary of State's office by Wednesday's 5 p.m. …

Monday, February 25, 2013

Gomez to Join U.S. Senate Race This Week

Former Navy SEAL Gabriel, a former Navy SEAL, is planning several events this week to kick of his run for the U.S. Senate.

Former Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez will officially launch his U.S. Senate campaign on Thursday and Friday, according to the Boston Herald. Gomez, a Republican from Cohasset, will run for the seat vacated by new Secretary of State John Kerry. His campaign kicks off Thursday with events in Boston and Springfield, according to the Herald. Friday will bring more events on the North and South shores, though the Herald didn’t specify any venues or times. Gomez, known for evading the spotlight, will also likely stop for several “meet-and-greet” events with local leaders and supporters during those two days. However, the events will not be open to the media, according to the Herald.  Once candidates are certified by the Secretary of the Commonwealth, …

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Lynch, Markey Hit the Road, Republicans Get Started

Nomination papers deadline is Wednesday, Feb. 27.

With only days to go before nomination papers are due in the race for U.S. Senate, last week was a busy one for announced and potential candidates looking to fill the seat left vacant by John Kerry’s appointment to Secretary of State. The Republican field lost one prominent candidate, and another generated a bit of controversy. On the Democratic side, Congressmen Edward Markey (D-Malden) and Stephen Lynch (D-South Boston) have been working through their pre-primary debate schedule and campaigning across the state.  Democrats Markey, Lynch Hit The Road Both Democratic candidates hit the road again last week from Pittsfield to Salem, meeting with residents and attending fundraisers.  Markey, who represents Melrose, had campaign stops in …

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Tarr, Winslow Considering Runs for U.S. Senate

Republicans Bruce Tarr and Dan Winslow may be joining the U.S. Senate race.

Republicans continue to come forward exploring the possibility of running for the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the appointment of John Kerry to Secretary of State, but so far only one has officially announced a run. With just 21 days until nomination papers have to be filed, two more Republicans announced on Tuesday that they were exploring their options – State Rep. Dan Winslow (R-Norfolk) and Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester). Also in the mix: Former Nantucket selectman and county commissioner Douglas Bennett says he’s making a bid for the seat. And according to the Boston Globe, former Navy Seal Gabriel Gomez, of Cohasset is considering a run. Several Republicans have already been down this path in the past week and …

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