Poll: Markey expands his lead in Mass. Senate race
(CNN) - A new poll indicates Democratic Rep. Ed Markey has slightly widened his advantage over Republican opponent Gabriel Gomez in the campaign for the June 25 special election for a U.S. Senate seat in Massachusetts.
The longtime congressman leads Gomez by 11 points, 54%-43%, among likely voters who are leaning toward a candidate, according to the new Boston Globe survey, released Sunday.
When voters were asked who would get their vote for if the election were held today, the gap expanded, with Markey still at 54% but Gomez at 41%.
The new results come after two polls last week indicated Gomez, a businessman and political newcomer, was gaining some ground on Markey, standing only 7 percentage points behind the Democrat in the reliably blue state.
A number of top Democrats, including President Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, and former President Bill Clinton, have turned out for Markey in the state. Vice President Joe Biden is slated to campaign with him this week.
Read more: Another big name Democrat heading to Massachusetts
But the poll indicates that the election, held to fill the seat vacated by Democrat John Kerry earlier this year, hasn't generated high interest in the state. Thirty-four percent of respondents said they knew a lot about Markey - who has been in the House for 37 years - and 13% said they knew a lot about Gomez.
And according to the Globe, poll respondents find Gomez more likable. He also has the edge over Markey among unenrolled or independent voters, a crucial voting bloc in the race.
The two engaged in their second of three debates last week. With less than 10 days to go before Election Day, the next week of campaigning will no doubt be heated, capping a race that has already seen its share of ugly battles.
Gov. Deval Patrick, a Democrat, earlier this year appointed Democrat Mo Cowan as an interim senator until voters make their selection next week.
The survey was conducted by telephone with 508 likely voters from June 11 to June 14, and has a sampling error of plus or minus 4.3 percentage points.
- CNN's Ashley Killough and Steve Brusk contributed to this report.
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The Dems in MA, will not vote for anything but corruption, in that state.
Well done Massachuesetts....we need a functioning Senate because the House is Cluser of Tea-Party Clowns and can't get out of stupid. We absolutely have to vote out anything GOP/Rethuglican/Tea A Tard in 2014. This country cannot stand to have these idiots in power.
As long as we keep the republicans out of office the country will succeed and grow and our national debt will go down . The republican party is really off the hook and way out of touch and truely should not be trusted. We have come to far to allow them to get the power back in their hands and drag us down again.
Mass will vote the old guy in, because he is a democrat – no change here-
Mass., please do not let us down again. You made a huge mistake that time of Scott Brown. You didn't do it either during 2012 election and kicked out Mitt Romney (your once called Governor). We trust you come this election, you will opt to the right thing for the whole people of Mass. Be practical, come all and do elect Rep. Markey to take over that clean seat Sec. Kerry left.
Most likely Markey will be elected. After all who needs Fiscal Responsibility! All together now. Nero, Nero, Nero!
Gomez is just another right-wing extremist who will pander to corporate needs and ignore the middle class. He's a modern Republican – the coconut they're using to pretend to have an interest in the needs of minorities.
The democrats put in a carrer politician as usual and the lemmings will follow him into more government dependence and greater national debt.
Are you people for real. All the cool aid drinkers in a line. Really?