With the campaign down to the homestretch ,the Massachusetts U.S. Senate candidates meet tonight for their final debate.
Veteran Democratic Congressman Edward Markey and Republican newcomer Gabriel Gomez will meet for the third and final time in a debate to be broadcast from the studios of Boston PBS affiliate WGBH. It starts at 7pm The debate comes just one week before the June 25th special election when voters will choose either Markey or Gomez to fill the unexpired term of John Kerry, who resigned from the Senate in January to become Secretary of State.
Gomez has conservative positions on most issues, but he claims to be a “ new Republican” and points to his support for immigration reform and same-sex marriage. He plays up his personal story-- the son of Colombian immigrants who became a Navy SEAL and a successful private equity investor-- while attempting to turn Markey’s long Congressional career into a liability.
Gomez portrays Markey as the personification of what polls show people dislike most about Washington.
While Markey has run what has been described as a classic frontrunner’s campaign with limited public appearances and a cautious approach during their previous debates, Gomez has been more aggressive. He’s talked tough and accused Markey of running scared.
Markey, during last week’s debate in Springfield, highlighted Gomez’s opposition to a ban on assault weapons and to raising taxes on the wealthy.
Markey has scoffed at Gomez’s claim to be a “new Republican.”
Markey has appeared at campaign rallies with President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton, both of whom are very popular with Democrats in Massachusetts.
Polls have consistently given Markey a lead in the race of anywhere from seven points to as much as 13 points, according to a poll published Sunday in the Boston Globe. If he hopes to close the gap Gomez will have to be aggressive tonight, according to political consultant Tony Cignoli.
Markey has a more than two–to-one advantage in campaign funds heading into the closing stretch and he has a large grassroots get-out-the-vote organization.
Next Tuesday will mark the third time in as many years Massachusetts voters have elected a U.S. Senator. Republican Scott Brown upset Democrat Martha Coakley to win the 2010 special election following Edward Kennedy’s death. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a frequent presence on the trail for Markey, defeated Brown in the 2012 election.
