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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Senate Candidate Gomez Meets With Police, Fire, Business Owners and Voters

With a less than a week before the Republican primary election, Senate candidate Gabriel Gomez, who picked up the endorsement of former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld, campaigned in Framingham Wednesday.

With a less than a week before the Republican primary election, Senate candidate Gabriel Gomez, who picked up the endorsement of former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld, campaigned in Framingham Wednesday. Voters will go to the polls Tuesday, April 30 and either select a Republican or a Democratic ballot. There are two candidates on the Democratic ballot and Gomez, Michael Sullivan and Dan Winslow on the Republican ballot. The winner of each primary will face off in the state election on Tuesday, June 25 and will become Massachusetts' newest U.S. senator. Gomez, started Wednesday morning meeting some town leaders and voters at CJ's Northside Grill in Nobscot. He chatted with Selectman Laurie Lee, Finance Committee member Carol Sanchez and …

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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. An early question was asked about the candidates' positions 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, who represents Framingham, said voting for the bill was the "proudest vote of my …

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Lynch, Markey Debate Tonight in Lowell

The Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate meet in their second debate.

The combatants for the Democratic nomination in the U.S. Senate special election will square off tonight in Lowell for their second debate leading up to the April 30 primary. Congressmen Edward Markey (D-Malden) and Stephen Lynch (D-South Boston) will participate in the debate being held at 7:30 p.m. at Durgin Hall on the campus of the University of Massachusetts Lowell. The debate is being sponsored by UMass Lowell’s Center for Public Opinion and the Boston Herald. Questions for the debate will be posed by UMass Lowell students while the moderator will be reporter Jaclyn Cashman, according to the university. Markey and Lynch previously met for their first debate March 27 at the Channel 5 studios in Needham. The two candidates agreed to …

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Lynch Bashes Party Bosses for Backing Markey

The Boston Herald reported that Lynch said party leaders are discouraging people from donating to his campaign.

U.S. Rep. and Senate candidate Stephen Lynch (D-Boston) took aim at his party leaders for getting behind U.S. Rep. Edward Markey (D-Malden) in the primary fight, reported the Boston Herald. “They haven’t been fair,” Lynch told the Herald about the Democratic leaders. “No they haven’t been fair. I think they’ve done their best to discourage people from sending me contributions from Washington. They’ve basically said Markey’s our guy, don’t give to Lynch.” Lynch faces an uphill battle as the party bosses have backed the Democrat, who represents Framingham. A recent WBUR poll found that Markey has a 11-point lead over Lynch (35 percent to 24 percent). The two men square off on April 30 in the Democratic primary to replace former Sen. John …

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Republican Senate Hopefuls Call for Repeal of DOMA in Debate

GOP 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 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 …

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GOP Senate Candidates Discuss Economy, Social Security, Immigration at First Debate

State Rep. Daniel Winslow, former US attorney Michael J. Sullivan, and former Navy SEAL Gabriel E. Gomez discussed a wide-range of issues in the hour-long debate.

The quest to become the "Washington outsider" representing the Republican Party in this year's Massachusetts special senate election was underway at Stonehill College Tuesday night when GOP candidates met in their first primary debate. "Electing either of the Democratic nominees would be a sign of 'surrender' that we have given up," State Representative Daniel B. Winslow said in his closing statement referring U.S. Congressmen Ed Markey and Stephen Lynch. Winslow, former US attorney Michael J. Sullivan, and former Navy SEAL Gabriel E. Gomez discussed a wide-range of issues in the hour-long debate, including Roe vs. Wade, gun control, immigration, social security and the economy. The debate was sponsored by WickedLocal, WGBH and WCVB and a …

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You Ask, Patch Answers

When is the Last Day to Register to Vote in the Special Senate Election?

The deadlines for voting in the State's Special Election have been released.

With a special state election for senator set to take place in June, we have gathered all the important dates and deadlines leading up to the vote. FYI: As of now the last day of school in Framingham is also, June 25.

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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 …

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Unions May Be Key to U.S. Senate Race

As debate schedules are set and signatures are collected, campaigns are in full swing.

It was another busy week in the race for U.S. Senate last week as we start counting down the weeks to the April 30 Primary. As of Wednesday, two Democrats and three Republicans filed the required number of signatures to run in the special election for U.S. Senate. On the Democrat side we have U.S. Reps. Edward Markey and Stephen Lynch. So far for Republicans, it’s former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan, former Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez of Cohasset and State Rep. Dan Winslow (R-Norfolk). All five submitted more than the required number of signatures to the Secretary of State’s office to appear on the April 30 Primary ballot. City and town clerks have until Monday to deliver all signatures. The five are all vying for the seat left vacant by …

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