Republican Brian Herr and iIndependent Bruce Skarin announced their campaigns against the Democratic incumbent Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey for the upcoming November election. Senator Ed Markey was elected during a special election in 2013 to fill Secretary of State John Kerry’s seat. This will be the first time Markey will be running for a full term.
In 2013, Markey defeated Gabriel Gomez and Richard Heos. Gomez, who lost by a margin 10 points to Markey, was debating if he would run again but stated he will not fun for office in 2014 according to Boston.com.
On January 29, Herr announced his candidacy with the hopes of bringing change to the capitol’s dysfunction. Herr stated that the U.S. Senate needs bold leaders willing to make changes.
“We have no leadership in Washington, D.C. Our elected officials simply react; they respond; they panic. Then they have hissy fits with each other. And what does that get us? We find ourselves saddled with debt-ceiling fights, continuing resolutions and government shutdowns,” stated Herr in his release.
If elected for senate Herr will work on getting term limits for all newly elected federal office holders, a balanced budget amendment to the constitution, pro-jobs economic reform, immigration reform and creating a bipartisan approach to end bickering and stalemates in Washington D.C.
This isn’t the first time Herr will be running for a federal Senate seat, in 2010 he ran unsuccessfully for a GOP nomination now held by U.S. Representative James P. McGovern.
On January 30, Bruce Skarin announced would join the race as well, but with a different approach on how he is going to campaign. Skarin plans on creating a camp that is fully transparent, 100 percent citizen funded and gives voters equal say in setting the priorities for the problems and solutions the U.S. Senate should use.
“I’m in. I’m in, not because I believe that I can simply win as an independent with some good ideas, but rather because I believe that by doing the right thing and fixing our political system, we can win,” stated Skarin on TheFoundationParty.
He plans on walking 1,000 miles over five months through Massachusetts to gain ballot access. There will be no pay to attend events and he will be fully available to anyone while on the road or at one of his daily events. His plan, according to bruce2014, is to restore representation one step at a time.
If elected to the Senate, Skarin plans on creating a stronger economy, better schools and a healthier environment in Massachusetts by using a realistic and pragmatic plan.
The primary election for Massachusetts will take place on September 9 and the general election will take place on November 4.
(Photos in descending order are curtsey of markey.senate, brianherr, and thefoundationparty)
