Despite having a comfortable lead in the polls:
http://www.masslive.com/...
Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Edward Markey is holding a 12-point lead over his Republican competitor Gabriel Gomez, according to a poll released on Thursday.
The survey of 867 registered Massachusetts voters by the Emerson College Polling Society concluded that Markey was up 45 percent to 33 percent over the Gomez, a six-percentage-point increase over a May 1 survey taken a day after both men won their respective party primaries. Twenty-two percent said they were still undecided.
The new poll also concluded that Markey's popularity with independent voters, which make up 52 percent of all registered voters in the commonwealth, is on the rise. Gomez still has the unenrolled voters by a solid margin, 43 percent to 32 percent, but his lead among these voters is down 11 points compared to the May 1 poll. But with 26 percent of the coveted voting bloc still undecided, things could go either way by election day.
Markey's favorable/unfavorable numbers are a strong 49/35 with 12 percent of those polled undecided. At the same time, Gomez's favorable/unfavorable numbers are a strong 41/34 with 18 percent undecided.
"The data suggests that Markey’s domination of the air waves with television ads are having the intended effect of allowing him to define his opponent, which has lowered
the favorable opinion of Gomez, while increasing his own support from undecided voters," said Felix Chen, president of ECPS, in a press release.
But the number of voters who are still unsure how they feel about the candidates indicates that upcoming exposure through advertising, public appearances and media reports will play a part in determining the victor. - The Republican, 5/23/13
Tom Steyer isn't taking anything for granted in helping Markey get elected:
http://www.masslive.com/...
A group funded by a California billionaire protesting the Keystone XL pipeline is returning to Massachusetts to support Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Edward Markey in the general election.
NextGen Committee, which was created by hedge fund founder and environmental activist Tom Steyer, spent around $290,000 opposing Democratic U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch in the Democratic primary, according to data compiled by the non-partisan Sunlight Foundation. The group focused on the controversial proposed oil pipeline from Canada to the Gulf Coast, which Lynch supported and Markey opposed.
Now, the group plans to get involved in Markey’s general election fight against Republican private equity investor Gabriel Gomez, according to a memo from group spokesman Chris Lehane. In the memo, Lehane mentioned several of Markey’s key election platforms, not only his environmental record. He noted that Markey supports abortion rights, gun control and protecting Social Security benefits.
“From what little there is to know about Gomez, we’ve realized that he is simply a lightweight version of Mitt Romney… but without the experience,” Lehane wrote. “Gomez is Romney Lite.” The former Massachusetts governor and 2012 Republican presidential nominee lost Massachusetts to Democratic President Barack Obama by a 23-point margin.
Regarding the Keystone pipeline, Lehane wrote, “As if speaking from the Romney talking points, Gomez supports the agenda of big oil companies. That includes foreign oil companies such as is the case of his support for the Keystone XL pipeline, even when it is not in the health or economic interests of our kids.”
Gomez has said he supports the Keystone XL pipeline because it will help the U.S. become less dependent on foreign oil. Gomez defended his position on Thursday. “President Obama's own State Department announced that the Keystone Pipeline will have no impact on global carbon emissions, and I believe we should finish building it,” Gomez said in a statement. “The pipeline means we can lower our dependency on foreign oil and create tens of thousands of jobs in a way that doesn't negatively impact the environment.”
Lehane wrote that NextGen will seek to be a “politically disruptive force” in the general election. It will run a field campaign to target Boston federal election voters; will create online and digital advertising; will target faith voters; and will engage in “guerrilla marketing,” which generally means using political stunts and low-cost, unconventional means to engage voters.
Steyer donated $750,000 to the NextGen Committee and, as of April 10, was its only donor, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Local environmental activists organized and participated in NextGen events. - The Republican, 5/23/13
Markey's opponent, Gabriel Gomez (R. MA) has been lying about Markey in his attacks and he is failing miserably:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
In claiming Markey “blames Gomez for the Newtown shooting,” the Gomez campaign is referring to a Markey TV ad on gun control called “Clear Differences.” The Markey ad said that Gomez “is against banning high-capacity magazines like the ones used in the Newtown school shooting.” And that is true.
The Markey ad features a clip of Gomez, during an April 21 appearance on WCVB’s “On The Record” TV show, saying, “I’m against an assault weapons ban” and “I don’t believe that you should have a limit on the high-capacity magazines.” (See the video here at around the 5:03 mark.)
It is also true that a rifle with a “high capacity 30 round magazine” was used “to murder 20 children and six adults inside the school,” according to the Connecticut State Police.
As for the bin Laden claim, a Markey Web video called “Meet Gabriel Gomez: Just Another Republican” doesn’t make a direct comparison between Gomez and bin Laden. In the video, images of bin Laden appear alongside one of Gomez for about seven seconds — about as long as the image of Gomez appears next to one of the president.
Gomez, a former Navy Seal, called the ad a “disgrace” and “a textbook despicable political attack to attempt to connect me with Osama bin Laden in the minds of voters.” Such visual associations are powerful. But, if viewers listen to the full Web video, it was an attempt to tie Gomez to the tea party and “Swift Boat” attacks used against Kerry in 2008. It featured a clip of an MSNBC anchor describing Special Operations OPSEC Education Fund as an “anonymously funded group with tea party and GOP ties.” And it also included a Christian Science Monitor headline asking, “Are Obama critics are using ‘Swift Boat’ tactics?”
The images of bin Laden used in Markey’s Web video were pulled from a 22-minute film produced by the OPSEC group that accused Obama of leaking classified information, jeopardizing national security and politicizing bin Laden’s death. At the point in the Markey video where the images of bin Laden are featured, the film’s narrator says “killing bin Laden had been a goal for years, but the politicians turned that victory into an intelligence disaster.” The image of Gomez came from a 2012 MSNBC interview where Gomez appeared on the group’s behalf in order to defend the controversial film. - FactCheck.org, 5/23/13
Gomez is failing so bad that the National Republican Senatorial Committee has to send some of their men in:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
An aide with knowledge of the changes confirmed that staff is being sent to assist in Republican Gabriel Gomez’s upset bid in next month’s special election. That staff includes regional political director Sarah Morgan and senior adviser Kevin McLaughlin. The news was first reported by Roll Call’s Kyle Trygstad.
A committee spokesman declined comment about strategy but played up Gomez’s chances.
“Massachusetts is an uphill climb, but Gomez is a refreshing candidate who is winning over independents looking for something new,” NRSC spokesman Brad Dayspring said. “Navy SEALS can climb mountains and Gabriel Gomez has a real opportunity to win the race.” - Washington Post, 5/23/13
By the way, Markey will be releasing his tax returns on Friday:
http://www.boston.com/...
Markey, a Malden Democrat who has served in the US House of Representatives since 1976, had been pressed by the media for the past week about whether he would open his tax returns to scrutiny, and when. Though Markey had said that he would do so “in the very near future,” his aides had continued to put off an anticipated date for the release.
Members of Congress are required to file financial disclosure forms showing their investments -in very broad terms in order to expose any potential conflicts of interest. But they can decide individually whether to open their actual tax returns to public scrutiny.
Markey’s Republican opponent Gabriel E. Gomez made his taxes available during the primary race and again Wednesday when he allowed reporters to review his returns from 2006 to 2011.
Markey campaign senior adviser Mark Horan said the Democrat would go even further than Gomez.
“We will be releasing tax returns tomorrow,” Horan said.
An aide said Gomez has requested an extension and not yet filed taxes for 2012. He has not released tax returns from 2005 that might reveal more about a tax break he received for the historical preservation of the facade of his home.
“Unlike Gabriel Gomez, who has flatly refused to disclose his 2005 tax return that would reveal what he pocketed by exploiting an obscure tax loophole and taking a questionable $280,000 tax break on his Cohasset home, Ed Markey will release his complete tax returns dating back to 2005 and including 2012,” said spokesman Andrew Zucker. - Boston Globe, 5/23/13
The special election is June 25th. If you would like to donate or get involved with the Markey campaign, you can do so here:
http://www.edmarkey.com/