Gomez to Face Markey in Senate Election

The former Navy SEAL and the longtime Congressman will face off June 25 to fill John Kerry's former U.S. Senate seat.

A Week of Key Debates, Endorsements

A look back at what happened over the past week in the U.S. Senate race.

Just a little more than two weeks until the primary election to see which Democrat and Republican will go head to head to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by John Kerry’s appointment to Secretary of State. Monday night, U.S. Congressmen Stephen Lynch (D-South Boston) and Edward Markey (D-Malden) met in their second debate which contained few fireworks. The debate, held at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and sponsored by the college and the Boston Herald, lasted about 45 minutes and touched on a variety of issues, on which the two Democrats mostly agreed. On Wednesday night, it was the Republicans’ turn as they went face to face in the WBZ-TV studios moderated by the station’s Jon Keller. Former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan, …

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Gloves Are Off in U.S. Senate Race

A look back at what happened over the past week in the U.S. Senate race.

It was a very busy week in the race for U.S. Senate. Things started to get heated as the candidates continue to race toward the April 30 primaries. We saw candidates lashing out at party backing, another facing an ethics complaint, new poll numbers, and more. Let’s start with the Democrats this week. Democratic candidates Stephen Lynch (D-South Boston) and Edward Markey (D-Malden) will face off in a second debate Monday night in Lowell. If the news of the past week is any indication, it should make for an interesting back and forth between the candidates. Lynch took aim at his party leaders last week for supporting Markey. Lynch told the Boston Herald that the Democratic leaders haven’t been fair and told them that he thinks they’ve done …

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Democrats, Republicans Square Off in First Debate

A look back at what happened over the past week in the U.S. Senate race.

It was a big week in the race for U.S. Senate, with both Republican and Democratic candidates facing off for the first time in a debate Wednesday night.  Candidates running in the April primary faced each other in two 30-minute debates in an event sponsored by the Boston Media Consortium and held at the WCVB-TV, Channel 5 studios in Needham.  Congressmen Stephen Lynch (D-South Boston) and Edward Markey (D-Malden) went several rounds on the topic of health care reform in the first debate between the two Democrats. The two also sparred over bank bailouts. Write-in Democratic candidate Brett Rhyne was not at the debate. Republicans also faced each other for the first time in their own debate immediately following Lynch and Markey. Candidates…

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Lynch and Markey Spar Over Health Care, Bank Bailouts

GOP and Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate debated Wednesday night at the WCVB-TV (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) went several rounds on the topic. They faced-off for 30 minutes at the WCVB-TV (Channel 5) studios in Needham following a debate between the three declared Republican candidates. For Markey, voting for the Affordable Care Act 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 in the legislation. Lynch said he disagreed with the elimination of …

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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 primary debates 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 special Senate 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 …

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Markey, Sullivan Leading New WBUR Senate Poll

More than 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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Candidates Defend Iraq War Votes, Campaign Ads Aplenty

A look back at what happened over the past week in the U.S. Senate race.

The Democratic candidates for Senate this week talked about the war in Iraq, launched more television ads, opened regional and local campaign offices and continued to get the word out as the April 30 primary draws near. This past week marked the 10-year anniversary of the start of the Iraq war, and with a hotly contested U.S. Senate Primary just over a month away, both Congressmen seeking the Democratic nomination found themselves defending their votes. Democratic opponents Congressmen Stephen Lynch (D-South Boston) and Edward Markey (D-Malden) both voted to use force in Iraq, but the two Senate candidates disagreed on a vote the following year to approve $87.5 billion to fund the war. MassLive.com reports that Lynch voted for the funding…

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GOP Candidates Meet Face to Face, Dems Ready to Debate

A look back at what happened over the past week in the U.S. Senate race.

  Over the past week, Republican candidates in the race for U.S. Senate met face to face for the first time to talk issues and make themselves known in the race for U.S. Senate, while their Democratic counterparts launched their first TV ads. State Rep. Dan Winslow of Norfolk, former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan and former Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez took part in the first GOP debate last Tuesday night at Stonehill College in Easton. In the hour-long debate, the candidates discussed a wide-range of issues including: Roe vs. Wade, gun control, immigration, social security and issues affecting the economy. Unlike their Democratic counterparts, the three candidates disagreed on little, with a common theme centered on the need to fix the …

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Polls Give Markey Double Digit Lead in Senate Race

A look back at the highlights as candidates campaign for U.S. Senate.

Two polls last week show double-digit leads for U.S. Rep. Edward Markey over his Democratic opponent U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch in the race for U.S. Senate. Results of a UMass Lowell/Boston Herald poll last week showed Markey (D-Malden) leads Lynch (D-South Boston) by 29.5 percentage points among potential Democratic primary voters. The poll also shows Markey is leading over all three Republican candidates. Fifty percent of those polled said they would vote for Markey, while 20.5 percent said Lynch, giving Markey a 29.5 percent lead. Twenty-three percent said they were unsure about how they plan to vote. Markey and Lynch face off in the April 30 Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by John Kerry’s appointment to Secretary …

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