2013 United States Senate Special Election In Massachusetts
The 2013 United States Senate special election in Massachusetts was held on June 25, 2013, in order to fill the Massachusetts Class 2 United States Senate seat for the remainder of the term ending January 3, 2015.
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   Markey: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Gomez: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Tie: 40–50% 50% No votes | |||||||||||||||||
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The vacancy that prompted the special election was created by the resignation of Senator John Kerry, in order to become U.S. Secretary of State. On January 30, 2013, Governor Deval Patrick chose his former chief of staff, Mo Cowan, to serve as interim U.S. Senator. Cowan declined to participate in the election. A party primary election was held on April 30, to determinate the nominees of each party for the general election. The Massachusetts Democrats nominated U.S. Representative Ed Markey, while the Massachusetts Republicans nominated Gabriel E. Gomez, a businessman and former Navy SEAL.
The race drew remarks from the media, because of its potential similarity to the 2010 special election, when Republican state senator Scott Brown upset the Democratic nominee, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley. However, Gomez trailed Markey in every opinion poll taken, and Markey defeated him by a 10.2 percentage point margin, despite low turnout.
As of 2023, this is the last time a Republican Senate candidate won any county other than Plymouth, which Geoff Diehl carried with a plurality in 2018. Thus, it is also the most recent time a Republican candidate won a majority in any Massachusetts county.
Background
The incumbent senator, John Kerry (Democratic), was nominated to serve as U.S. Secretary of State by President Barack Obama on December 21, 2012. He was confirmed by the Senate on January 29, 2013, and in a letter to Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, Kerry announced his resignation from the Senate, effective February 1. Kerry was sworn in as secretary of state on the same day.
Patrick's former chief of staff, Mo Cowan, was appointed to replace Kerry in the Senate on the same day, and immediately ruled himself out of the special election. The special primary elections took place on April 30. Democratic U.S. Representative Ed Markey and Republican businessman Gabriel E. Gomez won their respective primaries.
Democratic primary
U.S. Representatives Ed Markey and Stephen F. Lynch both announced campaigns for the open seat. Markey was perceived as more left-wing than Lynch.
Candidates
- Stephen F. Lynch, U.S. representative from South Boston
- Ed Markey, U.S. representative from Malden
Declined
- Ben Affleck, actor
- Michael Capuano, U.S. representative, 2010 Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate
- Martha Coakley, Attorney General of Massachusetts and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2010
- Mo Cowan, appointed incumbent U.S. senator
- Benjamin Downing, state senator
- Kimberley Driscoll, mayor of Salem
- Barney Frank, former U.S. representative
- Edward M. Kennedy, Jr., entrepreneur, investment banker, lawyer, and son of senator Ted Kennedy
- Victoria Reggie Kennedy, widow of senator Ted Kennedy
- Gerard Leone, Middlesex County District Attorney
- Jim McGovern, U.S. representative
- Marty Meehan, chancellor of the University of Massachusetts, Lowell and former U.S. Representative
- Carmen Ortiz, U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts
- Deval Patrick, governor of Massachusetts
- Jonah Pesner, rabbi
- Niki Tsongas, U.S. representative and widow of senator Paul Tsongas
Debates
- Complete video of debate, March 27, 2013 - C-SPAN
- Complete video of debate, April 22, 2013 - C-SPAN
Endorsements
Stephen F. Lynch
Politicians
- Cheryl Coakley-Rivera, state representative from the 10th Hampden District
- Frank A. Moran, state representative from the 17th Essex District,
- Michael Finn, state representative from the 6th Hampden District
- John Sweeney, West Springfield city councilor
- George Kelley, West Springfield city councilor
- John Merrigan, Franklin County register of probate
- Johnathan Blodgett, district attorney of Essex County
- Susan Kay, mayor of Weymouth
- Joe Connolly, treasurer of Norfolk County
- Arthur Matthews, Weymouth town councilor
- T.J. Lacey, Weymouth town councilor
- Jane Hackett, Weymouth town councilor
- Frank Burke, Weymouth town councilor
- Greg Shanahan, former Weymouth town councilor
- Linda M. Pereira, Fall River City Council president
- Labor unions
- Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2222
- Massachusetts Building Trades Council
- Transport Workers Union Local 2054
Ed Markey
Politicians
- U.S. presidents and vice presidents
- Joe Biden, 47th vice president of the United States
- Bill Clinton, former president of the United States
- Al Gore, former vice president of the United States
- Barack Obama, 44th president of the United States
- U.S. cabinet members
- John Kerry, U.S. Secretary of State and former U.S. senator (D-MA)
- U.S. senators
- Michael Bennet, U.S. senator (D-CO)
- Elizabeth Warren, U.S. senator (D-MA)
- Members of the U.S. House of Representatives
- Xavier Becerra, U.S. representative (D-CA)
- Barney Frank, former U.S. representative (D-MA)
- Debbie Wasserman Schultz, U.S. representative (D-FL) and chairperson of the Democratic National Committee
- Governors
- Lincoln Chafee, governor of Rhode Island
- Deval Patrick, governor of Massachusetts
- Other state constitutional officers
- Martha Coakley, Massachusetts Attorney General and Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in 2010
- Steve Grossman, Massachusetts State Treasurer
- State legislators
- Richard Alcombright, mayor of North Adams
- Denise Andrews, state representative from the 2nd Franklin District
- Brian Ashe, state representative from the 2nd Hampden District
- Michael J. Barrett, state senator from the 3rd Middlesex District
- Paul Brodeur, state representative from the 32nd Middlesex District
- Will Brownsberger, state senator from the 2nd Suffolk and Middlesex District
- Gale D. Candaras, state senator from the 1st Hampden and Hampshire District
- Gary Christenson, mayor of Malden
- Tom Conroy, state representative from the 13th Middlesex District
- Katherine Clark, state senator from the Middlesex and Essex District
- Gailanne Cariddi, state representative from the 1st Berkshire District
- Richard Cohen, mayor of Agawam
- Sean Curran, state representative from the 9th Hampden District
- Marjorie Decker, state representative from the 25th Middlesex District
- Robert DeLeo, Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
- Marcos Devers, state representative from the 16th Essex District
- Sal DiDomenico, state senator from the Middlesex, Suffolk and Essex District
- Paul Donato, state representative from the 35th Middlesex District
- Ken Donnelly, state senator from the 4th Middlesex District
- James J. Dwyer, state representative from the 30th Middlesex District
- Carolyn Dykema, state representative from the 8th Middlesex District
- Tricia Farley-Bouvier, state representative from the 3rd Berkshire District
- Robert Dolan, mayor of Melrose
- Scott Galvin, mayor of Woburn
- Sean Garballey, state representative from the 23rd Middlesex District
- Jon Hecht, state representative from the 29th Middlesex District
- Patricia D. Jehlen, state senator from the 2nd Middlesex District
- Jay Kaufman, state representative from the 15th Middlesex District
- Peter Kocot, state representative from the 1st Hampshire District
- Stephen Kulik, state representative from the 1st Franklin District
- David Linsky, state representative from the 5th Middlesex District
- John J. Lawn, state representative from the 10th Middlesex District
- Jason Lewis, state representative from the 31st Middlesex District
- Michael J. McGlynn, mayor of Medford
- Marc R. Pacheco, state senator from the 1st Plymouth and Bristol District
- Thomas Petrolati, state representative from the 7th Hampden District
- Anthony Petruccelli, state senator from the 1st Suffolk and Middlesex District
- Daniel Rizzo, mayor of Revere
- Dave Rogers, state representative from the 24th Middlesex District
- Tom Sannicandro, state representative from the 7th Middlesex District
- Carl Sciortino, state representative from the 34th Middlesex District
- Karen Spilka, state senator from the 2nd Middlesex and Norfolk District
- Thomas Stanley, state representative from the 9th Middlesex District
- Ellen Story, state representative from the 3rd Hampshire District
- Benjamin Swan, state representative from the 11th Hampden District
- Aaron Vega, state representative from the 5th Hampden District
- Chris Walsh, state representative from the 6th Middlesex District
- James T. Welch, state senator from the Hampden District
- County officials
- Tom Bowler, sheriff of Berkshire County
- Dave Sullivan, district attorney of Northwestern County
- Mayors
- Daniel Bianchi, mayor of Pittsfield
- Michael Bloomberg, mayor of New York City (political independent)
- Thomas Menino, mayor of Boston
- David Narkewicz, mayor of Northampton
- Domenic Sarno, mayor of Springfield
- Michael Tautznik, mayor of Easthampton
- City councilors
- Ayanna Pressley, at-large Boston city councilor
- Charles Yancey, Boston City Councilor from district 4
- Celebrities and prominent individuals
- Victoria Kennedy, widow of former U.S. senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA)
- Caroline Kennedy, daughter of 35th president of the United States John F. Kennedy
- Michelle Obama, first lady of the United States
- Carole King, singer-songwriter
- Newspapers and publications
- Labor unions
- AFSCME Council 93
- Massachusetts Teachers Association
- National Education Association
- United Steelworkers
- Association of Flight Attendants
- National Nurses United
- Massachusetts Nurses Association
- Business people
- John Donahue, president and CEO of Arbella Insurance Group
- Robert Epstein, President of Horizon Beverages
- Kenneth Feinberg, head of The One Fund Boston
- Greg Foster, president of IMAX Corporation
- Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation
- Larry Lucchino, president and CEO of the Boston Red Sox
- Peter Lynch, stock investor and research consultant at Fidelity Investments
- Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google
- David Stern, Commissioner of the National Basketball Association
- Peter Slavin, president of Massachusetts General Hospital
- George Tsunis, founder and CEO of Chartwell Hotels
- Organizations
- Alliance for Retired Americans
- Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
- Human Rights Campaign
- League of Conservation Voters
- Massachusetts AFL–CIO
- MassEquality
- MoveOn.org
- NARAL Pro-Choice America
- Planned Parenthood
- Progressive Massachusetts
- Sierra Club
- United States High School Democrats[citation needed]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Stephen Lynch | Ed Markey | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling | January 29–30, 2013 | 763 | ±4.9% | 19% | 52% | — | 29% |
| Public Policy Polling Archived March 6, 2016, at the Wayback Machine | February 13–14, 2013 | 426 LV | ±4.8% | 28% | 43% | — | 29% |
| WBUR/MassINC | March 19–21, 2013 | 610 LV | ±4.1% | 24% | 35% | 0% | 41% |
| Public Policy Polling | March 26–27, 2013 | 496 LV | ±4.4% | 32% | 49% | 0% | 19% |
| WNEU | April 11–18, 2013 | 270 LV | ±6% | 34% | 44% | 0% | 21% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ed Markey | 311,219 | 57.35% | |
| Democratic | Stephen F. Lynch | 230,335 | 42.44% | |
| Democratic | All others | 1,150 | 0.21% | |
| Total votes | 542,704 | 100% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Gabriel E. Gomez, businessman and former Navy SEAL
- Michael J. Sullivan, former United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts and former Acting Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
- Daniel Winslow, State Representative
Withdrawn
- Sean Bielat, nominee for Massachusetts's 4th congressional district in 2010 and 2012
- Jon Fetherston, former Ashland Selectman
Declined
- Keith Ablow, psychiatrist and Fox News contributor
- Charlie Baker, former state cabinet secretary and nominee for Governor of Massachusetts in 2010
- Scott Brown, former U.S. Senator
- Lew Evangelidis, sheriff of Worcester County
- Kerry Healey, former lieutenant governor and nominee for governor in 2006
- Joe Malone, former Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts
- Ann Romney, former First Lady of Massachusetts
- Tagg Romney, businessman and son of former Governor Mitt Romney
- Jane Swift, former lieutenant governor and acting governor
- Bruce Tarr, State Senate Minority Leader
- Richard Tisei, former State Senate Minority Leader
- William Weld, former Governor of Massachusetts and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 1996
Debates
- Complete video of debate, March 27, 2013 - C-SPAN
Endorsements
Gabriel E. Gomez
- Politicians
- William Weld, former governor of Massachusetts
- Daniel Winslow
- Michael J. Sullivan
- John McCain, 2008 Republican presidential candidate and United States Senator from Arizona
- Rudy Giuliani, 2008 presidential candidate and former Mayor of New York City
- Steven R. Cote, Republican Candidate for Councilor-At-Large for Leominster
Michael J. Sullivan
- Politicians
- Karyn Polito, former state representative
- Joe McDonald, Sheriff of Plymouth County
- Frank Cousins, Sheriff of Essex County
- Tom Hodgson, Sheriff of Bristol County
Daniel Winslow
- Social and political activists
- Barbara Anderson, veteran anti-tax activist
- Newspapers
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Gabriel Gomez | Michael Sullivan | Daniel Winslow | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WBUR/MassINC | March 19–21, 2013 | 610 LV | ±4.1% | 8% | 28% | 10% | 3% | 50% |
| WNEU | April 11–18, 2013 | 128 LV | ±9% | 33% | 27% | 9% | — | 30% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Gabriel E. Gomez | 96,057 | 50.75% | |
| Republican | Michael J. Sullivan | 67,946 | 35.89% | |
| Republican | Daniel Winslow | 24,662 | 13.03% | |
| Republican | All others | 628 | 0.33% | |
| Total votes | 189,293 | 100% | ||
General election
Candidates
- Gabriel E. Gomez (Republican), businessman and former Navy SEAL
- Richard A. Heos (Twelve Visions Party)
- Ed Markey (Democratic), U.S. Representative from Massachusetts's 5th congressional district
Withdrawn
- Daniel Fishman (Libertarian), former teacher and nominee for Massachusetts's 6th congressional district in 2012
- Jack E. Robinson III (Independent), businessman and perennial Republican candidate
Debates
- Complete video of debate, June 5, 2013 - C-SPAN
- Complete video of debate, June 18, 2013 - C-SPAN
Fundraising
| Candidate (party) | Receipts | Disbursements | Cash on hand | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ed Markey (D) | $7,866,591 | $8,652,479 | $2,264,701 | $0 |
| Gabriel Gomez (R) | $3,304,338 | $2,307,217 | $997,120 | $900,100 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission | ||||
Top contributors
| Ed Markey | Contribution | Gabriel Gomez | Contribution | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| League of Conservation Voters | $147,518 | Advent International | $38,850 | |
| Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky, and Popeo | $35,950 | Berkshire Partners | $36,300 | |
| Dish Network | $32,000 | Summit Partners | $28,900 | |
| Bain Capital | $26,000 | Bain Capital | $11,400 | |
| Harvard University | $24,400 | Easterly Capital | $10,400 | |
| DLA Piper | $24,400 | William Blair & Company | $10,300 | |
| Comcast Corporation | $23,350 | HarbourVest Partners | $7,800 | |
| WilmerHale | $23,000 | Power Financial Corporation | $6,200 | |
| Berkshire Group | $20,700 | BMO Capital Markets | $5,200 | |
| American Cable Association | $20,500 | Carlyle Group | $5,200 | |
| Source: OpenSecrets | ||||
Top industries
| Ed Markey | Contribution | Gabriel Gomez | Contribution | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $528,470 | Financial Institutions | $211,800 | |
| Financial Institutions | $228,050 | Retired | $37,250 | |
| Entertainment Industry | $179,400 | Misc Finance | $16,105 | |
| Environmental Organizations | $171,568 | Lawyers/Law Firms | $13,250 | |
| Real Estate | $134,900 | Business Services | $13,050 | |
| Lobbyists | $134,900 | Commercial Banks | $7,750 | |
| Retired | $107,101 | Manufacturing & Distributing | $6,200 | |
| Business Services | $101,200 | High-Tech Industry | $6,000 | |
| High-Tech Industry | $65,450 | Retail Industry | $5,600 | |
| Universities | $65,150 | Misc Business | $5,100 | |
| Source: OpenSecrets | ||||
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Ed Markey (D) | Gabriel E. Gomez (R) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UMass Lowell-Boston Herald | March 2–5, 2013 | 309 RV | ±4% | 47% | 28% | 7% | 19% |
| WBUR/MassINC | March 19–21, 2013 | 610 LV | ±4.1% | 44% | 25% | 3% | 26% |
| WNEU | April 11–18, 2013 | 480 LV | ±4.5% | 51% | 36% | — | 12% |
| Emerson College | May 1, 2013 | 797 RV | ±2.5% | 42% | 36% | — | 16% |
| Public Policy Polling | May 1–2, 2013 | 1,539 LV | ±2.5% | 44% | 40% | — | 16% |
| WBUR/MassINC | May 5–6, 2013 | 497 LV | ±4.4% | 41% | 35% | 0% | 23% |
| Suffolk | May 4–7, 2013 | 500 LV | ±4.4% | 52% | 35% | — | 13% |
| Public Policy Polling | May 13–15, 2013 | 880 LV | ±3.3% | 48% | 41% | — | 11% |
| Emerson College | May 20–22, 2013 | 867 LV | ±3.26% | 45% | 33% | — | 22% |
| New England College | June 1–2, 2013 | 734 RV | ±3.62% | 52% | 40% | — | 8% |
| UMass Amherst-YouGov America | May 30 – June 4, 2013 | 357 RV | ±5.4% | 51% | 40% | — | 9% |
| Public Policy Polling Archived March 5, 2016, at the Wayback Machine | June 3–4, 2013 | 560 LV | ±5.4% | 47% | 39% | — | 14% |
| WBUR | June 6–9, 2013 | 500 LV | ±3.4% | 43% | 36% | — | 17% |
| Suffolk University Archived June 17, 2013, at the Wayback Machine | June 6–9, 2013 | 500 LV | ±3.4% | 44% | 36% | — | 10% |
| Harper Polling | June 10–11, 2013 | 498 RV | ±4.39% | 49% | 37% | — | 14% |
| Boston Globe | June 11–14, 2013 | 508 LV | ±4.3% | 54% | 41% | — | 4% |
| UMass Lowell-Boston Herald[permanent dead link] | June 15–19, 2013 | 608 RV | ±4% | 56% | 36% | — | 7% |
| WNEU | June 16–20, 2013 | 566 LV | ±4.1% | 49% | 41% | — | 9% |
| Emerson College | June 19–20, 2013 | 1,422 RV | ±2.5% | 51% | 41% | — | 8% |
| Suffolk University Archived June 27, 2013, at the Wayback Machine | June 19–22, 2013 | 500 LV | ±4.4% | 52% | 42% | 1% | 5% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ed Markey | 645,429 | 54.80% |  11.06 | |
| Republican | Gabriel Gomez | 525,307 | 44.60% |  13.67 | |
| Twelve Visions | Richard Heos | 4,550 | 0.39% | N/A | |
| Write-in | 2,504 | 0.21% | N/A | ||
| Total votes | 1,177,790 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
- Barnstable (largest municipality: Barnstable)
- Bristol (largest municipality: New Bedford)
- Hampden (largest municipality: Springfield)
- Plymouth (largest municipality: Brockton)
- Worcester (largest municipality: Worcester)
By congressional district
Markey won 6 of 9 congressional districts.
| District | Gomez | Markey | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 46.81% | 52.72% | Richard Neal |
| 2nd | 48.79% | 50.73% | Jim McGovern |
| 3rd | 50.59% | 48.97% | Niki Tsongas |
| 4th | 44.93% | 54.77% | Joe Kennedy III |
| 5th | 34.82% | 64.82% | Himself |
| 6th | 50.6% | 49.05% | John F. Tierney |
| 7th | 18.53% | 81.09% | Mike Capuano |
| 8th | 48.79% | 50.84% | Stephen Lynch |
| 9th | 53.34% | 46.31% | Bill Keating |
Notes
References
External links
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