U.S. Senate Primary: Where Do You Vote?
Today’s U.S. Senate Special State Primary Election will result with a Democratic and Republican nominee who will vie for the seat vacated by now Secretary of State John Kerry. Voters registered as Democrat, Republican or unenrolled can vote for their party’s candidate today. Polls are open between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. The candidates: Democrats Stephen Lynch Edward Markey Brett Rhyne (write-in candidate) Republicans Gabriel Gomez Michael Sullivan Daniel Winslow Voters in Boston can use this search tool to find their polling location or contact the Boston Election Department at 617-635-3767. This is a list of polling locations in Boston. Some precincts’ ballots will carry a vote to fill a vacancy in the First Suffolk Senate District. South End Patch
Patch Interviews U.S. Senate Candidates
South End Patch
Categories: Arrests Tags: Candidates, Interviews, Patch, Senate, U.S.
Patch Interviews U.S. Senate Candidates
Patch editors interviewed each of the candidates running for U.S. Senate in the April 30 special election. We gathered questions from editors across Patch’s coverage area in Massachusetts. The editors asked both broad questions about policy, as well as opinions on more local, regional issues. Click on the links below to read the questions and answers with each candidate… Democrats Stephen Lynch Edward Markey Brett Rhyne (write-in candidate) Republicans Gabriel Gomez Michael Sullivan Daniel Winslow South End Patch
Categories: Arrests Tags: Candidates, Interviews, Patch, Senate, U.S.
Last Day to Register to Vote for U.S. Senate is Wednesday
If you were planning to vote for the next U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, you need to be registered to vote by Wednesday, April 10 for the upcoming April 30 election. The April 30 election will select which candidate for U.S. Senate will represent Massachusetts in Washington, DC after John Kerry was selected as Secretary of State late last year. Voters in the First Suffolk Senatorial District will also choose to fill the vacant seat formerly held by Jack Hart will be held on the same date. According to Boston’s Election Department, voters who have used absentee ballots in the past must fill out a new application each calendar year. If you’re not sure if you need to re-register, you can call the election department. The April 10th date, in addition to being the last day to register to vote, is also the last day you can change your address or party affiliation before the special election. The election department will stay open on Wendesday until 8 p.m. Information for voters: Applications may be obtained by calling the Election Department at 617-635-3767 or downloaded on the Election Department’s website: www.cityofboston.gov/elections. The Election Department is located in Room 241 of Boston City Hall, and will be open until 8 p.m. that evening to accommodate prospective registrants and those wishing to make changes. Those who wish to register or make changes by mail should make sure that their request is postmarked no later than April 10. Massachusetts Law does not allow these changes to be made via email. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
Should Scott Brown Run for Senate in NH?
Former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) dropped a bombshell on Thursday night when he told reporters following a speech in Nashua that he wouldn’t rule out a run for Senate in New Hampshire. “I’m not going to rule out anything right now,” he said. Brown, who represented Massachusetts in the Senate from 2009 to 2012, owns a vacation home in Rye, N.H., so it’s not that far fetched. His announcement drew an immediate response from Democrats, who flooded the Twitterverse with comments and jokes about the former Massachusetts Senator’s prospects should he choose to take on incumbent Jeanne Shaheen in 2014. What do you think? Should Scott Brown run for Senate in New Hampshire in 2014? Or should he stay in Massachusetts? Tell us in our comments section below. South End Patch
Gloves Are Off in 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 their best to discourage people from sending him contributions. “They’ve basically said Markey’s our guy, don’t give to Lynch,” he told the Herald. Markey Faces Ethics Complaint Markey will face an ethics complaint from the Bay State Republican Party that alleges coordination between the U.S. Senate candidate’s campaign and congressional office and improper use of footage from Congress in TV ads, according to a report in the Boston Herald on Tuesday. MassGOP Executive Director Nate Little told the Herald they believe Markey has been using taxpayer-funded resources from his congressional office for campaign purposes. The state GOP plans on filing a letter with the House Committee on Ethics on Tuesday, according to the Herald. Latest Poll Shows Markey Ahead Markey gained a sizeable lead over Lynch in a new poll by Public Policy Polling this week. Yahoo News reported that the poll, conducted March 26-27, included 496 likely Democratic voters, giving Markey a 17-point lead over Lynch (49 to 32 percent). A February poll just after both declared their candidacy had Markey ahead of Lynch by 15 points (43 to 28 percent). Like their potential Democratic opponents, Republicans in the race were also busy last week. Sullivan Names New Campaign Strategist Republican Senate candidate Michael Sullivan named Matt St. Hilaire of Beverly as senior campaign strategist. He’s also served in senior positions for the gubernatorial campaigns of Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey and Charlie Baker, as well as Richard Tisei’s Congressional campaign in the 6th District. What the Republican Candidates Earned Republican candidate Gabriel Gomez recently reported his $ 727,000 salary from his private equity business. The information was included in Gomez’s financial disclosure form, according to an AP story on Masslive.com. The article also stated that Sullivan reported earning more than $ 3.2 million between 2002 and 2001, as well as paying $ […]
U.S. Senate Candidates Face Off in Debate Wednesday Night
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, according to the Boston Globe. WBUR/Mass Inc. puts them significantly closer, with Markey up by just seven points. The three Republican contenders are state Rep. Dan Winslow (R-Norfolk), former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan and former Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez. Needham resident Brett Rhyne, a write-in Democratic candidate, was not confirmed to participate, according to WCVB, nor was Independent Jack E. Robinson. The last day to register to vote, change a voting address or change party affiliation for the April 30 primary is Wednesday, April 10. Not sure where or how to register to vote or change party affiliation? Here’s everything you need to know, courtesy of Secretary of State Galvin’s office. South End Patch
GOP Senate Candidates Discuss Economy, Social Security, Immigration in First 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 (R-Norfolk) said in his closing statement referring U.S. Congressmen Ed Markey (D-Malden) and Stephen Lynch (D-South Boston). 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 journalist panel of WGBH’s Adam Reilly, Janet Wu of WCVB, and Chris Burrell of the Patriot Ledger delivered questions. Stonehill professor Peter Ubertaccio moderated The three candidates disagreed on little, with a common theme centering around Washington’s dis-functionality and it’s need to be fixed. The theme rose to the surface when discussing the economy and the recently-enacted sequester, which seemingly had little immediate impact on job growth. “I think sticking with the status-quo is a complete failure on the part of our government,” Sullivan said. “I think we’re far to high too celebrate,” he added, referring to the nation’s 7.7 unemployment rate. Gomez, who criticized “career politicians” and lobbyists during his closing remarks, said little was getting done in Washington because of the “lack of courage.” “We don’t have a lack of ideas down in DC right now, what we have is a lack of courage,” he said while discussing social security. Gomez said it was “sad that Scott Brown lost because he’s the kind of person that we need down in DC recommending the commonwealth of Massachusetts.” All three candidates agreed that Brown’s loss to Sen. Elizabeth Warren in the 2012 election was evident that Republicans weren’t reaching the right people. “We have to be what we are, which is the great opportunity party and have that message – that message of hope – be the message that we reach out to American voters,” Winslow said. In regards to social security, the three candidates believed raising the age of retirement might contribute to the problem surrounding social security, while emphasizing that current seniors should remain unaffected. Winslow, Sullivan and Gomez also put strong emphasis on mental health background checks when discussing gun control. Gomez said an assault weapons ban was ineffective in 1994 and would still be ineffective while Sullivan said any all-out ban would be “completely ineffective.” Winslow said he would consider three things […]
Categories: Arrests Tags: Candidates, Debate, Discuss, Economy, First, Immigration, Security, Senate, Social
Polls Give Markey Double Digit Lead in Senate Race
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 of State. On the Republican side, Markey also led, according to the poll, coming in 19 points over former Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez, 17.2 percent over former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan and 23.2 percent over State Rep. Dan Winslow. The poll also showed Lynch leading over all three Republican candidates: 18 percent over Gomez, 17 percent over Sullivan and 24.5 percentage points over Winslow. A second poll last week, this one by the League of Conservation Voters, which is supporting Markey in the special election, also shows him with a double digit lead. The poll shows Markey at 42 percent, with Lynch at 28 percent. AFL-CIO not endorsing in the primary Both Lynch and Markey continue to bring in endorsements and seem to be splitting union support, however, neither candidate will get the backing of the state’s largest labor organization. The AFL-CIO has decided not to endorse in the Democratic primary. The Boston Herald reported this week that Steven Tolman, Massachusetts AFL-CIO president, said the union will work to defeat whichever Republican candidate wins the GOP primary. GOP candidates kick off campaigns, national TV weighs in With just a month and a half until the primary, the candidates are wasting no time campaigning, building teams and putting their all in the sprint toward the April Primary. Republican Candidate Michael Sullivan officially kicked off his campaign Saturday in Abington. This week we also learned Sullivan hired Richard Tisei’s former campaign manager to manage his campaign for U.S. Senate. His camp also includes former State Rep. Karyn Polito as his “campaign chairman,” Dan Winslow (R-Norfolk) spent some time with Attleboro Patch when he came through town to meet and greet potential voters. Winslow also got himself some national attention when MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow pointed out a discrepancy when he blasted his party last weekend for holding a straw poll at the Danversport Yacht Club. Maddow […]
Who’s the Frontrunner in GOP Senate Primary?
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, 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 that 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 capacity some years ago,” Talty said. Patrick Griffin, a former GOP consultant and CEO of Manchester, N.H.-based Griffin York & Krause, doesn’t see any kind of frontrunner right now. Griffin referenced Winslow’s recent victory in a Republican straw poll Danversport Yacht Club in Danvers as not being relevant to the outcome of the race. “The straw poll doesn’t mean anything,” Griffin said. “Just ask Mitt Romney.” Talty said Winslow’s win means “he is stronger than some people thought,” but that doesn’t change the race fundamentally at this point. Winslow, from Norfolk, won 79 ballots in the straw poll, while Gomez, from Cohasset, garnered 59 votes and Sullivan, from Abington, received 55 votes, according to the Boston Globe. “The biggest problem is no one knows who the hell they are,” said Griffin of the Republicans. “The most interesting thing in this whole race was that (Democratic candidate and U.S. Congressman Edward) Markey wasn’t supposed to be challenged.” Griffin believes the GOP is going from a “rock star” in former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown to “a third-string opening act” in the current field. So what do the three candidates need to do in order to become the clear frontrunner? “If they’re smart, they’ll run a ground game and get as many people out as possible,” Griffin said. Fundraising is going to prove difficult for any of the GOP candidates given the short timeframe, according to Talty. “It’s going to be a battle for who can raise the most money,” Talty said, adding that going up with advertising statewide will also help determine who pulls away. Sullivan and Winslow both have deep connections that could benefit them in the race, according to Talty. Sullivan served in Washington during the Bush years, while Winslow was formerly Romney’s legal counsel and was “very friendly” with former Bush Chief of Staff Andrew Card. Gomez is attractive as “a young, fresh face” in the state party, and Talty said all three “have a […]
Categories: Arrests Tags: Frontrunner, Primary, Senate, Who’s