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.
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 congressman 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, this proved not to be the case, as Gomez trailed Markey in every opinion poll taken; and Markey managed to defeat Gomez with a significant margin of the popular vote, despite a low voter turnout.
Incumbent Democratic Senator John Kerry 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 replaced 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 Congressman Ed Markey and Republican businessman Gabriel E. Gomez won their respective primaries.
Candidates
Stephen Lynch, U.S. Representative
Ed Markey, U.S. Representative
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
Kimberly 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
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
Sean Bielat, nominee for Massachusetts's 4th congressional district in 2010 and 2012
Jon Fetherston, former Ashland Selectman
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 State Treasurer
Ann Romney, wife of former Governor Mitt Romney
Tagg Romney, businessman and son of Mitt Romney
Jane Swift, former Lieutenant Governor and Acting Governor
Bruce Tarr, State Senate Minority Leader
Richard Tisei, former State Senate Minority Leader, nominee for Lieutenant Governor in 2010 and nominee for Massachusetts's 6th congressional district in 2012
William Weld, former Governor of Massachusetts and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 1996
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
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
The candidates have had three debates:
June 5: Sponsored by WBZ-TV and The Boston Globe.
June 11: Sponsored by a Western Massachusetts media consortium.
June 18: Sponsored by a Boston media consortium.
