Democrat Markey leading Republican Gomez in Massachusetts Senate polls

By Scott Malone

BOSTON (Reuters) - Democratic Congressman Ed Markey holds a lead over Republican political newcomer Gabriel Gomez in the Massachusetts U.S. Senate race, though a newly released pair of polls differ on how wide his margin is.

A MassInc Polling Group/WBUR poll released on Thursday found that Markey, who has spent more than three decades in the House of Representatives, had the firm support of 41 percent of likely voters, with private equity executive Gabriel Gomez having 35 percent. When undecided voters were pushed to say which candidate they were leaning towards, Markey's lead broadened to 46 percent to 38 percent.

Another poll, by Suffolk University/7 News released late on Wednesday found a wider gap, with Markey holding the support of 52 percent of likely voters, with 35 percent backing Gomez.

The pair, who won their parties' nominations in April 30 primaries, will face off in a June 25 special election to fill the Senate seat that became available when President Barack Obama named John Kerry secretary of state.

The gap between the two poll results likely reflects the fact that not many voters are paying attention to the race, which comes at an unusual time, observers said.

"It's still rather low profile. Lots of folks probably have not made up their minds or really don't intend on voting," said Peter Ubertaccio, a professor of political science at Stonehill College, in Easton, Massachusetts.

Given the low voter engagement, a major part of each candidate's strategy will have to be focusing on getting voters out the door on election day, he said.

"In a special election, off year, during an odd time of the year, your ground game is crucial," Ubertaccio said.

A Gomez victory could help the Republicans retake a majority in the Senate, where they currently have 45 seats. There are 53 Democrats and two independents.

The race is Massachusetts' second off-cycle Senate election in three years; in 2010 voters opted for Republican Scott Brown, who had been a state senator, over Democratic state attorney general Martha Coakley to fill the seat that came open when Democrat Edward Kennedy died. In November, Brown was unseated by Democrat Elizabeth Warren.

Brown's win was unexpected in a liberal-leaning state and left the state's Democratic party to take a more aggressive approach in backing Markey, who declared his interest in the seat in December, even before Kerry stepped down.

"The early perception immediately after the party primaries was that Markey was vulnerable," said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center. "These finds suggest the opposite of a close race."

Both polls found that a significant number of voters had not made up their minds about Gomez, the son of Colombian immigrants, with 47 percent in the MassInc poll undecided or unaware of him and 32 percent in the Suffolk poll undecided or unaware.

The MassInc/WBUR poll included 497 likely voters who were questioned on May 5 and 6. The Suffolk/7 News poll counted 500 likely voters from May 4 through May 7. Each has a margin of error of 4.4 percent.

(Reporting by Scott Malone; editing by Jackie Frank)

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Veteran Democrat, Republican newcomer win Massachusetts Senate primaries

By Scott Malone

BOSTON (Reuters) - A Democratic Massachusetts lawmaker who has spent more than three decades in Congress will face off against a Republican who is a political novice and former Navy SEAL in the race to fill the state's open U.S. Senate seat.

Primary voters on Tuesday picked Democrat Ed Markey and Republican Gabriel Gomez as their candidates in the June 25 special election, the second such race the state has seen in three years.

A Gomez victory could help Republicans move toward their goal of retaking a majority in the Senate, where they currently have 45 seats. There are 53 Democrats and two independents.

Markey was the first candidate to enter the race and polls showed him with a solid lead against all potential Republican opponents. Gomez's result was more of a surprise as a better-known rival, former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan, led in earlier polls.

While Democratic candidates typically enjoy a strong advantage in liberal-leaning Massachusetts, Markey and his party still have vivid memories of the state's last special U.S. Senate election three years ago when Republican Scott Brown upset state Attorney General Martha Coakley.

"Gomez's nomination adds an element of uncertainty," said Peter Ubertaccio, a professor of political science at Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts. "He's a newcomer who has pulled off a very interesting victory and has money, and that is going to add an element of unpredictability to the general election."

THE BATTLE BEGINS

The two nominees immediately turned their fire one another.

Markey told a crowd of cheering supporters that if elected to the Senate he would continue to stand up for hot-button liberal issues including gun control and access to abortion, and sought to tie his rival to the national Republican Party.

"The Republican Super PACs see this election as their first shot at stopping President (Barack) Obama's agenda," Markey said. "Mark my words, these outside special interests are going to march right into Massachusetts beginning tomorrow morning."

Gomez, meanwhile, portrayed himself as more independent, saying he supported term limits for elected officials.

"If you're looking for an independent voice, a new kind of Republican, take a look at our campaign," Gomez said.

Turnout was light in an off-cycle election that came a little more than two weeks after a bombing attack at the Boston Marathon that caused all five candidates to pause their campaigns and knocked the election off the front pages of local papers.

Markey was first elected to the House in 1976. He is ranking member of the chamber's Natural Resources Committee and outspoken on environmental issues.

Born of Colombian immigrants, Gomez's first language was Spanish. He entered the military after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and became a pilot before entering SEAL training. After leaving the Navy in 1996, he went on to graduate from Harvard Business School and joined private equity firm Advent International.

The seat became available when John Kerry became the U.S. Secretary of State. Democrat Kerry had served as U.S. Senator from Massachusetts since 1985.

Markey bested fellow Democratic Representative Stephen Lynch, while Gomez faced State Representative Daniel Winslow, as well as Sullivan.

Gomez drew criticism from his primary rivals for having written a letter to the state's Democratic Governor Deval Patrick, asking to be appointed to the seat on an interim basis.

Patrick instead tapped his former chief of staff, William Cowan, who serves as interim senator and did not enter the race.

The winner of the June vote will serve alongside the state's current senior Senator, Democrat Elizabeth Warren, who last year unseated Brown.

(Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Grant McCool, Philip Barbara and Lisa Shumaker)

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Illinois Democrat Robin Kelly easily wins House seat

By Mary Wisniewski

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Gun control supporter Robin Kelly, a Democrat, was leading by a wide margin in early returns in the race for a Chicago area U.S. House seat on Tuesday evening, according to both suburban and Chicago returns.

The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners reported that with 72.4 percent of precincts reporting, Kelly had 91.9 percent of the vote. The Cook County Clerk's office, which shows suburban returns, reported that with 97 of 263 precincts reporting, Kelly was leading with 80.1 percent of the vote. In both Chicago and the suburbs, she was far ahead of her closest competitor, Republican Paul McKinley.

The winner will take the spot left vacant by the resignation of former Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., who pleaded guilty in February to misusing campaign funds.

(Reporting by Mary Wisniewski and Renita D. Young; Editing by Cynthia Johnston)

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