Fourth Congressional district candidate Joe Kennedy III will still face the challenge of distinguishing himself from his family when voters approach the polls, an obstacle Republican Sean Bielat has continuously pitched to the public.
In the final brief television debate of the election season, Bielat continued his attacks on Democratic opponent Kennedy’s lack of experience and qualifications, a move some viewers said is a ploy to distract voters from important issues.
The debate, which lasted 15 minutes and aired Wednesday morning on Fox 25, was the candidates’ final chance to appeal to voters, but involved little discussion of the issues until the final five minutes.
During the debate, Bielat repeated his claims that Kennedy is only a contender in the race because of his family name and said Kennedy is “hoping that his name is enough and his money’s enough” to win.
“It’s not just about age, but it’s about what we’ve done with our years,” Bielat said. “I’ve done more that’s relevant to the office that I’m seeking than Joe has.”
Although neither candidate has held public office, Bielat said Kennedy did not have the experience necessary for the seat.
In this election season Bielat said jobs, the economy and national security are important issues to Massachusetts voters.
Kennedy reverted to a tactic he has played throughout this campaign when accused of coasting on his family’s name — flattering his background, but then backing out.
“I’m very proud, clearly, of what my family has done here in Massachusetts and for this country,” he said. “And I think it’s certainly been a big support for me, but from day one, I’ve been very clear with everybody that it is my name on the ballot.”
Bielat said that as a former Marine and businessman, his experience is more pertinent.
During the “mini-debate,” the only public problems the two candidates debated were the possible introduction of casinos in the fourth district and taxes.
Both candidates agreed that casinos were a good idea in communities that supported them, such as Brookline.
“If a casino’s going to go in, it should have the support of the local communities,” Kennedy said.
Bielat mirrored his opponents view on the casino issue.
“I support economic development, and if local voters support a casino, I do too,” he said.
However, the two butted heads over taxation when Kennedy claimed that Bielat supported the Ryan budget.
Massachusetts Democratic Party spokesman Kevin Franck said the focus on character instead of the issues was a ploy to distract voters by a candidate who has little likelihood of winning.
“I think that Sean Bielat brings that up because he’s just trying to distract voters from what’s really important in this race,” he said.
Bielat has accused Kennedy of inexperience and that his campaign has harped on sliding by simply on a Kennedy name.
“When our backgrounds are compared, I have a huge lead,” the Bielat campaign said in a press release. “People in the Fourth District want someone in Congress who understands how businesses work and what it takes to protect the United States.”
The Bielat campaign and the Massachusetts Republican Party did not respond to multiple requests for a comment.
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