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 …

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Gomez to Face Markey in Senate Election

The former Navy SEAL and the longtime Congressman will face off June 30 to fill John Kerry's former U.S. Senate seat.

Patch Interviews U.S. Senate Candidates

We gathered questions from editors across Patch’s coverage area in Massachusetts.

Last Day to Register to Vote in Special Senate Election

The special senate primary election is scheduled for April 30.

Today, Wednesday, April 10, is the last day to register to vote in the special U.S. Senate Election.  Residents can register to vote at any Registry of Motor vehicles or at Waltham City Hall. The special senate primary election is scheduled for April 30. The general election is scheduled for June 25. 

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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. Lynch and Markey clashed on their votes on the Affordable Care Act. Markey (D-Malden) 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 Congressional career." He said there were some areas …

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Republican Senate Hopefuls Call for Repeal of DOMA in Debate

Republican and Democratic 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 during a Wednesday night debate. 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 the Senate. State Rep. Dan Winslow (R-Norfolk), said "Obamacare is bad for Massachusetts" and adds federal bureaucracy on top of the state's system. He highlighted an upcoming legislative proposal on Beacon Hill to reduce health care costs. Former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan said he would rein in spending by trimming fat in the federal budget while …

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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) will square off against U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-South Boston). In the latest UMass Lowell poll, Markey leads Lynch 50 percent to 29.5 percent, …

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Markey, Sullivan Leading New WBUR Senate Poll

Over 40 percent of likely voters in both primaries yet to make up their minds for the special election.

Congressman Edward Markey and former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan are leading their respective Democratic and Republican primary fields for the upcoming U.S. Senate special election, according to a new WBUR poll. Markey, a Malden Democrat, has an 11-point edge (35 percent to 24 percent) over fellow Congressman Stephen Lynch of South Boston. Sullivan, of Abington, leads the Republican candidates with 28 percent followed by Norfolk Rep. Dan Winslow at 10 percent and former U.S. Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez of Cohasset with 8 percent. Both races have a high number of undecided voters. According to the poll, 41 percent of likely Democratic voters have not made up their minds. That number is even bigger among likely GOP voters, where 46 percent …

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Who’s the Frontrunner in GOP Senate Primary?

One candidate has name recognition, but experts say no one has separated himself from the field yet. (or pulled ahead of the rest of the field).

The window for the three candidates 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 …

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