Republican Scott Brown has pulled ahead of Democrat Martha Coakley in the race for the Senate seat held by the late Edward Kennedy, according to a Suffolk University poll. Brown, at 50 percent, has taken the lead over Coakley, at 46 percent.
Coakley was once thought to be a shoo-in and enjoyed a 30-plus-point lead in the polls last November.
The poll of 500 registered Massachusetts voters was conducted Jan. 11-Jan. 13.
Kennedy held the seat for 46 years.
The race has both Democrats and Republicans pushing hard to ensure the victory of their candidates. If Republican Scott Brown wins the race the GOP will have a 41st filibuster sustaining vote.
The results of the election could jeopardize President Obama’s health care plan soon to be up for a vote in the Senate. Brown has stated that if elected he will cast his vote against Obama’s health care plan.
In an effort to stop this 41st filibuster voting power to block his initiatives, Obama made an appearance at Northeastern University on Sunday to push for support for Coakley’s campaign.
Speaking to the Massachusetts working class Democratic base, Obama said in his speech, “Here’s the question you need to ask yourselves before you go to vote on Tuesday, Massachusetts. When the chips are down, when the tough votes come, on all the fights that matter to middle-class families across this commonwealth, who is going to be on your side?”
The two candidates are split on key issues, which could be a driving force behind the close race, as the state’s Independents choose who to vote for.
In addition to being split on the issues, Brown claims that Coakley is running a negative campaign, with ads that may have pushed Brown’s recent momentum. In fact, the day before the special election, Coakley’s campaign ads were largely negative.
On Boston’s local Channel 7 news time slot from 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., both candidates ran six ads. Brown’s ads all focused on his campaign trail and his stance on the issues. In contrast, Coakley’s ads were largely negative toward Brown. One was a voice of support from the late Edward Kennedy’s wife Vicki Kennedy, the other five ads were negative toward Scott Brown.
Although still too close to call, Republican Scott Brown has surprised the nation with his push forward in a region that stood behind Democrat Ted Kennedy for almost five decades.
It raises questions about whether the push for Brown, a Republican in the nation’s most Democratic state, is a result of public opposition to current policies and proposals coming out of Washington.
Coakley was once thought to be a shoo-in and enjoyed a 30-plus-point lead in the polls last November.
The poll of 500 registered Massachusetts voters was conducted Jan. 11-Jan. 13.
Kennedy held the seat for 46 years.
The race has both Democrats and Republicans pushing hard to ensure the victory of their candidates. If Republican Scott Brown wins the race the GOP will have a 41st filibuster sustaining vote.
The results of the election could jeopardize President Obama’s health care plan soon to be up for a vote in the Senate. Brown has stated that if elected he will cast his vote against Obama’s health care plan.
In an effort to stop this 41st filibuster voting power to block his initiatives, Obama made an appearance at Northeastern University on Sunday to push for support for Coakley’s campaign.
Speaking to the Massachusetts working class Democratic base, Obama said in his speech, “Here’s the question you need to ask yourselves before you go to vote on Tuesday, Massachusetts. When the chips are down, when the tough votes come, on all the fights that matter to middle-class families across this commonwealth, who is going to be on your side?”
The two candidates are split on key issues, which could be a driving force behind the close race, as the state’s Independents choose who to vote for.
In addition to being split on the issues, Brown claims that Coakley is running a negative campaign, with ads that may have pushed Brown’s recent momentum. In fact, the day before the special election, Coakley’s campaign ads were largely negative.
On Boston’s local Channel 7 news time slot from 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., both candidates ran six ads. Brown’s ads all focused on his campaign trail and his stance on the issues. In contrast, Coakley’s ads were largely negative toward Brown. One was a voice of support from the late Edward Kennedy’s wife Vicki Kennedy, the other five ads were negative toward Scott Brown.
Although still too close to call, Republican Scott Brown has surprised the nation with his push forward in a region that stood behind Democrat Ted Kennedy for almost five decades.
It raises questions about whether the push for Brown, a Republican in the nation’s most Democratic state, is a result of public opposition to current policies and proposals coming out of Washington.
