Ten candidates head to congressional special election in Massachusetts

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October 14, 2013

Massachusetts

By Jennifer Springer

Boston, Massachusetts: Ten candidates, made up of seven Democrats and three Republicans, will face off for each party's nomination tomorrow for the 5th District seat.[1] Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.[2]

The special election will be held to fill the vacancy left by the special election victory by Rep. Ed Markey for the vacant Senate seat.[3] Markey won election to the U.S. Senate from Massachusetts in the general election on June 25, 2013. The seat was formerly held by Secretary of State John Kerry, when he was nominated for his current position.[4][5]

Democratic candidates include state Senator Will Brownsberger, Middlesex Sheriff Peter Koutoujian, state Senator Karen Spilka, state Senator Katherine Clark, state Representative Carl Sciortino, former Lexington School Committee member Martin Long and Paul John Maisano.[6][7] In polls leading up to the primary election, Katherine Clark has led the field of Democratic candidates.

The three Republicans in the race are Frank Addivinola, Mike Stopa and Tom Tierney.[6][7]

Massachusetts' 5th Congressional District is considered a safe Democratic district. The state currently has an all Democratic congressional delegation.[8][9]

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Massachusetts utilizes a semi-closed primary system where voters who are affiliated with a political party and unaffiliated voters may vote in a party's primary.[10]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

The winners of each party's primary will advance to the general election on December 10, 2013.[11]

See also

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