Scrambling for last minute votes, Democratic candidate Ed Markey and Republican candidate Gabriel Gomez campaigned Monday across Massachusetts seeking public support going into the June 25 special election to fill Secretary of State John Kerry’s vacant senate seat.
Both campaigns have released ads since the primaries in April targeting the other candidate, ranging from Markey claiming Gomez sympathized with the Newtown, Conn. shooter to Gomez calling Markey “pond scum.”
“Another day in the campaign for Senate and more complaining [about gun control discussions] from Gabriel Gomez,” said a Markey spokesman in a radio ad that aired before the final debate Tuesday. “We should watch and see if Gomez finally stops complaining and starts explaining why he stands with national Republicans on issues that matter to Massachusetts families.”
On Saturday, Gomez said in an interview with The Republican that Markey’s campaign has been misleading.
“He has been distorting my message on almost every single issue from day one,” Gomez said. “He has run probably one of the most cravenly misleading deceptive campaigns. He is trying to scare people because he is scared. He doesn’t want to talk about his record.”
During the first of the three debates on June 5, the two candidates disagreed on gun control and Obamacare. Regarding the Syrian civil war, Markey said intervention in the conflict was unnecessary and Gomez said he would favor sending aid to the rebels.
The debate became heated over the issue of abortion. Markey said no law should influence a choice made by a doctor and patient when it comes to this issue. Gomez said he was pro-life and in favor of a 24-hour delay between the patient’s request and the actual operation.
Gomez spoke to reporters after the debate to clarify his answer.
“I couldn’t be more clear,” he said. “I’m not changing any law on abortion.”
During the final debate, after each candidate criticized the other’s employment record —Markey’s 37 years in the House of Representatives and Gomez’s position at Advent International, the equity firm he worked at until the beginning of the campaign — they said they both agreed with affirmative action.
“I don’t think we’ve reached the day yet where we can say that race does not play a role,” Markey said.
Several polls released in the past week find Markey to have an advantage over Gomez going into the final days of the election.
One poll conducted by Western New England University released Saturday has Markey ahead of Gomez by eight percent. Another poll by the University of Massachusetts-Lowell released on Friday reported Markey with a 20 percent advantage.
Both candidates drew high-profile endorsements during the campaign.
Markey was endorsed by the Alliance for Retired Americans, the Boston Globe and U.S. President Barack Obama, who came to a fundraiser in Boston on June 12 to endorse Markey.
Gomez was endorsed by the Lowell Sun, several city council members, former Mass. Gov. William Weld and 50 grassroots leaders across the Commonwealth.
“This campaign has been about working the grassroots from day one,” he said in a press release on April 23. “I am proud so many leaders have decided to fight for me in this campaign so I can fight for them in Washington, D.C.”
The special election is scheduled to take place Tuesday, June 25 with polls opening at 7 a.m. and closing at 8 p.m.
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