Markey Leads Gomez in New Suffolk/WHDH Poll

Congressman leads Gabriel Gomez by 17 points.

A new Suffolk University/7NEWS (WHDH) poll shows a strong lead for Democratic U.S. Congressman Edward Markey over Republican businessman and former U.S. Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez in the race for the U.S. Senate special election. The poll of 500 likely voters has Markey at 52 percent and Gomez at 35 percent. Eleven percent of voters in the poll were undecided. A third-party candidate, Richard Heos of the Twelve Visions Party, got 1 percent and another 1 percent refused to respond. David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center in Boston, said along with the announcement of the poll that Markey has "a large lead over his Republican opponent who voters are unsure about." Indeed, 32 percent of those polled said …

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Local Libertarian Ends Senate Campaign

Libertarian Daniel Fishman first announced his U.S. Senate bid in early February.

Libertarian Daniel Fishman of Beverly announced Sunday that he is immediately ending his campaign for the open U.S. Senate seat from Massachusetts. Fishman burst onto the politican scene last year as a candidate for the Sixth Congressional District. In that election, Fishman received 197 votes, or 4.5 percent of the vote in Hamilton. In Wenham, Fishman received 93 votes, or 4 percent. Some politiocal observers said that Fishman took votes away from the Republican candidate Richard Tisei, attracting votes from people that were more aligned with Tisei than U.S. Rep. John Tierney, the incumbent Democrat who was narrowly reelected. Fishman said in an announcement Sunday that he will not be submitting signatures to the Secretary of State for …

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Who’s the Frontrunner in GOP Senate Primary?

One candidate has name recognition, but experts say no one has separated themselves from the field yet.

The window for the three combatants for the Republican nomination in the U.S. Senate special election to make a name for themselves is a small one, with the April 30 primary just seven weeks away. Observers don’t believe there is a clear frontrunner at this point among the field of State Rep. Dan Winslow (R-Norfolk), former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan and former Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez. But strong fundraising, advertising and ground operations could change that quickly. Frank Talty, co-director of the UMass-Lowell Center For Public Opinion, believes Sullivan has a “slight advantage” at the moment because of his previous job, but not enough to pull away from Winslow and Gomez at the moment. “He had received some media attention in that …

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Five Candidates Waiting for OK on Signatures in U.S. Senate Race

Two Democrats and three Republicans submitted the needed 10,000 names by Wednesday's deadline.

Two Democrats and three Republicans submitted the required number of signatures to run in the special election for U.S. Senate, according to the Boston Globe. U.S. Reps. Edward Markey (D-Malden) and Stephen Lynch (D-South Boston) each filed more than double the 10,000 certified signatures required. Markey led the way with nearly 34,000 signatures, while Lynch had just over 25,000. On the Republican side, former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan filed nearly 19,000 signatures, followed by former Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez of Cohasset at almost 17,000 and state Rep. Daniel Winslow of Norfolk at more than 13,000. Those totals only include those signatures submitted to the Secretary of State's office by Wednesday's 5 p.m. deadline. City and town …

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Patch Facts

Five Things to Know on Feb. 27: Presenting Summer in Paris

An essential get-me-going daily morning column from Hamilton-Wenham Patch.

Today is Wednesday, Feb. 27. Here are five things you need to know in Hamilton and Wenham: 1. Rain: Wednesday will be a rainy day, with more than an inch of rain expected by the end of the day. The temperature will be in the 40s and winds will blow from the east up to 20 miles per hour. 2. Paris: “The Traveling Librarian” Jeff Klapes comes to Hamilton-Wenham Library on Wednesday evening with his “Paris in the Springtime” program. Klapes will talk about food, the sights and deliver a tour of the countryside starting at 6:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public. 3. Fair: The Topsfield Fair may be eight months away, but the fair is looking for college interns this summer, according to a recent post on its Facebook page. 4. Senate: Wednesday…

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Markey, Lynch Agree to Six Debates Before Senate Primary

Locations for Democratic Party debates include Boston, Lowell, New Bedford, Worcester and Springfield.

Congressmen Edward Markey and Stephen Lynch, the two Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate, have agreed to participate in six debates between now and the April 30 primary, according to the Boston Herald. The Boston Herald’s Chris Cassidy Tweeted that three of the debates will be general format, with the remaining three focusing on jobs, domestic issues and foreign policy. One of the debates will be held in Boston, and others will be held in Lowell, New Bedford, Worcester and Springfield. The location of the sixth debate has not been determined. Markey and Lynch are facing off to see who will take on the winner of the Republican primary in the June 25 special election to fill the seat vacated by John Kerry’s appointment as Secretary of …

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Lynch, Markey Hit the Road, Republicans Get Started

Nomination papers deadline is Wednesday, Feb. 27

With only days to go before nomination papers are due in the race for U.S. Senate, last week was a busy one for announced and potential candidates looking to fill the seat left vacant by John Kerry’s appointment to Secretary of State. The Republican field lost one prominent candidate, and another generated a bit of controversy. On the Democratic side, Congressmen Edward Markey (D-Malden) and Stephen Lynch (D-South Boston) have been working through their pre-primary debate schedule and campaigning across the state. Democrats Markey and Lynch hit the road Both Democratic candidates hit the road again last week from Pittsfield to Salem, meeting with residents and attending fundraisers. Markey had campaign stops in Taunton, Fall River, Lowell …

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Local State Senator Tarr Considering Run for U.S. Senate

Money will play a key role in the U.S. Senate race, which is right around the corner.

Republicans continue to come forward exploring the possibility of running for the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the appointment of John Kerry to Secretary of State, but so far only one has officially announced a run. With just 21 days until nomination papers have to be filed, two more Republicans announced on Tuesday that they were exploring their options – State Rep. Dan Winslow (R-Norfolk) and Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester). Also in the mix: Former Nantucket selectman and county commissioner Douglas Bennett says he’s making a bid for the seat. And according to the Boston Globe, former Navy Seal Gabriel Gomez, of Cohasset is considering a run. Tarr is a familiar face on the North Shore. He represents the First Essex …

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North Shore Libertarian Gets In Senate Race as GOP Searches for Candidate

The U.S. Senate race will have a Democratic primary, and a Libertarian candidate has now announced. But there is still no Republican contender.

With state Republicans still scrambling to find someone to run in the race for the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by John Kerry’s appointment to Secretary of State, we do have some other contenders who have jumped into the fray. On Monday, Libertarian Daniel Fishman announced he would attempt to get on the ballot for the U.S. Senate special election. Fishman, who lives in neighboring Beverly, garnered more than 16,000 votes in the 6th Congressional District election last fall finishing third behind Congressman John Tierney (D-Salem) and Republican candidate Richard Tisei. In Hamilton, Fishman received 197 votes, or 4.5 percent. In Wenham, Fishman received 93 votes, or 4 percent. "The thing I became most aware of on the campaign trail is that…

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