The primary election to fill the vacant U.S. House of Representatives seat left by now-Senator Ed Markey is tomorrow and while a single winner won’t be chosen until December, the primary whittles the number of candidates to just two. Most of the candidates are staples in Boston politics so while watching one transition from Beacon Hill to Capitol Hill will be bittersweet for city dwellers, they all certainly have plenty to give after their experience in the arena of Boston politics.
It comes as no surprise that there are more Democratic contenders than there are Republicans, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the race is a left-winged lock. In Markey’s special election to fill the seat long held by our current Secretary of State and Beacon Hill resident John Kerry, the incumbent eked out a 10-point marginal win over one-time Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez.
The Democratic candidates are:
- Will Brownsberger, State Senator
- Katherine Clark, State Senator
- Peter Koutoujian, Sheriff of Middlesex County and former State Representative
- Martin Long, former member of the Lexington School Committee
- Paul Maisano
- Carl Sciortino, State Representative
- Karen Spilka, State Senator
Conversely, the Republican candidates are:
- Frank Addivinola, lawyer and candidate for the 5th congressional district in 2012
- Mike Stopa, physicist and candidate for Massachusetts’s 3rd congressional district in 2010
- Tom Tierney, actuary and nominee for the 5th congressional district in 2012
It’s hard to really pinpoint a leader thus far but in terms of endorsements and poll numbers, Katherine Clark leads from the left. The State Senator from Melrose, has secured a 15% – 27% lead across four polls conducted since July. She’s also reeled in powerful endorsements from the likes of Attorney General and Massachusetts Governor hopeful Martha Coakley, State Representatives from Middlesex County Marjorie Decker and Paul Brodeur whose support was surely coveted by Middlesex County Sherrif and Clark opponent Peter Koutoujian, and a handful of local unions and town committees.
To find out more information on where and how to vote, check out all of the great resources on the City of Boston Election Department website where there’s details about polling stations, ballot order, election calendar, and much more.
