Markey wins Kerry's former U.S. Senate seat
Sen.-elect Ed Markey, D-Mass.
Los Angeles Times
WASHINGTON — Massachusetts voters elevated a veteran congressman to the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, choosing longtime Democratic Rep. Edward J. Markey to fill John F. Kerry’s unexpired term.
With 82% of precincts reporting, Markey held an 8-percentage-point lead over Republican and former Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez, 47, and the Associated Press declared him the winner. Markey will serve 17 months; the seat will be on the ballot again in November 2014.
Kerry resigned Feb. 1 to become U.S. secretary of state.
This election failed to generate much interest. The state’s chief elections officer projected a record low turnout, with just over a third of 4.3 million registered voters expected to cast ballots.
Markey, 66, never trailed in public opinion polls, although some analysts at times listed the race as a toss-up.