Massachusetts Senate race: Politician defeats ex-SEAL

Longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Edward?Markey has won the U.S. Senate seat long held by John Kerry, now US Secretary of State. Markey defeated?Republican political newcomer and former Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez.

By Bob Salsberg and Steve LeBlanc,?Associated Press / June 25, 2013

Massachusetts Senate Democratic candidate Ed Markey, right, meets and greets grassroots volunteers and supporters at the Pickle Barrel Restaurant & Deli, in Worcester, Mass., Monday, June 24, 2013, in the final hours before Tuesday's election.

John Ferrarone / Worcester Telegram & Gazette / AP

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Longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Edward?Markey?defeated Republican political newcomer Gabriel Gomez in a special election on Tuesday for the state's U.S. Senate seat long held by John Kerry, a race that failed to draw the attention that the state's 2010 special Senate election did.

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Markey, 66, won the early backing of Kerry and much of the state's Democratic political establishment, which was set on avoiding a repeat of the stunning loss it suffered three years ago, when Republican state Sen. Scott Brown upset Democratic state Attorney General Martha Coakley in the election to replace the late Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy.

Gomez, a 47-year-old businessman and former Navy SEAL, positioned himself as a moderate and Washington outsider who would challenge partisan gridlock, contrasting himself with?Markey, who was first elected to the U.S. House in 1976.

Markey?had an advantage of about 8 percentage points over Gomez with most precincts reporting late Tuesday, according to unofficial returns. He took to Twitter to thank voters after his victory.

"Thank you Massachusetts!" he tweeted. "I am deeply honored for the opportunity to serve you in the United States Senate."

Gomez said he called?Markey?to congratulate him and wished him "nothing but the best."

In a concession speech to supporters, Gomez said he was a better person as a result of the campaign and believed?Markey?would be a better senator having gone through the election.

Gomez said he'd waged the campaign with honor and integrity but was "massively outspent" by Democrats in the five-month election and was facing the might of the national Democratic Party.

Markey?outspent Gomez throughout the race, and Republicans were unable to match a well-oiled Democratic field organization in an election that saw relatively light turnout in much of the heavily Democratic state.

Kerry left the Senate this year after being confirmed as U.S. secretary of state.?Markey?will fill out the remainder of Kerry's term, which expires in January 2015, meaning that another Senate election will be held a year from November.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/4jLzgcswlog/Massachusetts-Senate-race-Politician-defeats-ex-SEAL

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