Well folks, the big day is here! Voters in Massachusetts will be deciding who will be filling Secretary of State John Kerry's (D. MA) U.S. Senate seat. The winner will also have to run for the seat again next year. Congressman Ed Markey (D. MA) is going into this race today with a lead over his opponent Gabriel Gomez (R. MA) but his lead has range from single to double digits. If You're a Massachusetts voter and need to find your polling place, go to this link:
http://www.wheredoivotema.com/...
Voter turnout is expected to be low but Markey and Democrats are working incredibly hard to make sure voters come out to the polls:
http://www.usnews.com/...
John Walsh, chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, says the turnout machine has been working overtime, buoyed by the high-profile appearances which generated excitement in the race.
"We've spent a lot of time knocking on doors and talking to people over the last couple of months and we know the folks who are with us," he says.
Democrats want to see a high turnout in the state's cities, Boston, Springfield and Worcester, but also a handful of suburban centers such as Lawrence, Lowell, Quincy, Malden, Leominster and Taunton, Walsh says.
"All those places will be an area of particular interest," he says. - U.S. News, 6/25/13
But Markey is feeling very confident about this race:
http://www.masslive.com/...
Markey made a campaign stop Monday at the Pickle Barrel restaurant on Pleasant Street to get voters excited for Tuesday's election, expected to have a record low turnout.
"We had 15,000 volunteers over the final five days and we contacted three million people in the final five days, so we find a high degree of enthusiasm out there," Markey said of his team. "This organization we put together is absolutely doing its job and we're finding a tremendous response across the state."
Last week Secretary of State William Galvin sent out a press release about the already low absentee ballot requests across the state for Tuesday's election.
Galvin told reporters on Monday that voter turnout on Tuesday will likely be the lowest for a U.S. Senate election in at least 30 years. Galvin estimates the turnout will be around 37 percent of 4.6 million voters in the state.
"We are trying to generate the highest possible turnout that is imaginable...and we do feel an incredible amount of enthusiasm," said Markey. "There were hundreds of people at every stop we've had over the last three or four days, so I just think the experts are wrong, the people really care about this election."
Markey believes people in Massachusetts will be able to juggle distractions like the Boston Bruins, who are playing game six of the Stanley Cup Finals Monday night in Boston against the Chicago Blackhawks, and get out and vote on Tuesday.
"I think in Massachusetts there are two things people think about: sports and politics. And I think they do both every day," said Markey.
"I think [voters are] going to be rooting for the Bruins tonight and then they're going to be voting tomorrow and then they're going to be rooting for the Bruins to win game seven," Markey continued. "I think they're going to be moving day to day making sure that politics and the Bruins are both something at the front of their minds. And I'm convinced the voters of Massachusetts can do both simultaneously. In fact, I grew up doing both simultaneously." - The Republican, 6/24/13
Markey concluded his day on the campaign trail yesterday by stopping by his home town:
http://www.masslive.com/...
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Edward Markey ended his campaign Monday night in the same place he began it in early February: at the Malden YMCA. It is the same place where Markey played basketball in high school, and for which he helped secure funding for its renovations as a U.S. congressman.
“It means the world to me,” Markey said of his hometown rally.
With the polls showing Markey leading Republican private equity investor Gabriel Gomez by between seven and 20 points heading into Tuesday’s special election for U.S. Senate, Markey and his supporters were careful to project confidence, but not overconfidence.
Markey said his campaign has rung the doorbell of or made a phone call to 3 million people in the last four days. “There is no overconfidence in this entire operation,” Markey told reporters. “We are driven by the knowledge that we have to do the work. We’ve been doing it for 180 days.”
Secretary of State William Galvin has predicted record low turnout, and polls have indicated a lack of enthusiasm among voters for either candidate. The election comes as schools are ending and families are leaving on vacation, and it has been overshadowed by events including the Boston Bruins playing in the Stanley Cup playoffs and the trial of gangster Whitey Bulger.
But Markey disputed the notion that there is little enthusiasm. “We don’t trust the experts,” he said. “We know what’s happening door to door. We know what’s happening on the phones. We are getting a fantastic response and we think those people are going to show up tomorrow.”
Around 200 people mingled in the heat outside the YMCA, where a band played and an ice cream truck handed out free ice cream. Markey drove an ice cream truck to put himself through college. - The Republican, 6/24/13
By the way, Markey picked a big endorsement from Massachusetts LGBT press yesterday:
http://www.therainbowtimesmass.com/...
Congressman Markey has supported and co-sponsored LGBTQ equality issues for decades. His support for gay rights, anti-bullying practices, transgender-inclusive employment protections and even support of gay bi-national couples makes Markey the most pro-LGBTQ candidate running for this seat.
As previously reported in TRT, Markey is also a co-sponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal DOMA; has earned a 100% rating from HRC in each Congress since the organization started its Congressional scorecard in 1989, and was endorsed by MassEquality and other LGBT organizations in the Bay State.
Because of all of this we believe that Congressman Ed Markey is the candidate who will best represent the needs of the LGBTQ community in the years to come and the best suited candidate to fill Senator John Kerry’s seat. - The Rainbow Times, 6/24/13
Again, if you live in Massachusetts, please do go vote and help make Markey the next U.S. Senator from Massachusetts. Polls close at 8 PM. You can find your polling place here:
http://www.wheredoivotema.com/...