ELECTION RESULTS:
Scott Brown (R): 51.9% (1,168,107)
Martha Coakley (D): 47.1% (1,058,682)
Joe Kennedy (I): 1.0% (22,237)
100% of precincts reporting
Martha Coakley called Scott Brown to concede the election at 9:13pm.http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/01/live_coverage_o.html
The United States Senate special election in Massachusetts on January 19, 2010 elected Republican Scott Brown to serve the rest of Ted Kennedy's term. Massachusetts Democratic Party chairman Paul Kirk, a former aide to Ted Kennedy, had been serving as interim senator since shortly after Kennedy's deatth. Governor Deval Patrick appointed Kirk to fill the seat until the special election could be held.
Brown defeated Democrat Martha Coakley, and independent candidate Joe Kennedy (no relation to the late senator) to earn the seat.
Massachusetts Senate Election Results
- Scott Brown (R): 52% (1,153,808)
- Martha Coakley (D): 47% (1,052,391)
- 99% of precincts reporting
- Martha Coakley called Scott Brown to concede the election at 9:13pm.http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/01/live_coverage_o.html
Impact of Massachusetts Senate Election on the Health Care Bill
The Democratic party currently has 60 seats in the Senate, which is enough to prevent Republicans from delaying votes on legislation by using a filibuster.http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/01/06/senate.power.balance/index.html Scott Brown will replace Paul Kirk, the Democrat who is currently occupying the Massachusetts seat. Brown has said he will be the 41st vote against the health care bill. Brown, however, will not be able to cast that vote until he is sworn in, which may not be until after the results of the Massachusetts election are certified—a process that is overseen by the Democratic Massachusetts Secretary of State, Bill Galvin. Some sources have indicated that Brown may not be sworn in until February 20. Kirk has said he will vote for the health care, regardless of the outcome of the election. The bill is expected to come up for a final vote before President Obama's State of the Union address on January 27, 2010.http://www.thebostonchannel.com/politics/22267245/detail.html/ref>
Massachusetts Senate Special Election Polls
- January 18, Research 2000: Brown 48%, Coakley 48%, 4.5% margin of errorhttp://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/01/coakley_brown_t.html
- January 17, Merriman River Group: Brown 50.8%, Coakley 41.2%, 4.1% margin of errorhttp://insidemedford.com/2010/01/17/brown-has-96-lead-in-new-poll/
- January 17, Public Policy Polling (PPP): Brown 51, Coakley 46, 2.8% margin of errorhttp://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/PPP_Release_MA_117468963846.pdf
- January 16, American Research Group: Brown 48, Coakley 45, 4% margin of errorhttp://www.politico.com/blogs/scorecard/0110/Poll_Brown_48_Coakley_45.html
- January 15, Suffolk University: Brown 50, Coakley 46, 4.4% margin of errorhttp://www.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view/20100114brown-out_poll_shows_scott_brown_trumping_martha_coakley/srvc=home&position=0
- January 10, Boston Globe: Coakley 50, Brown 35, 4.2% margin of errorhttp://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/01/10/senate_poll_coakley_up_15_points/
When Will Winner of Massachusetts Special Election Take Office?
There is speculation that Democrats would try to delay Scott Brown's swearing in so that he could not affect the health care bill. This video discusses the fact that both Ted Kennedy and Nicki Tsongas were sworn in the day after the election, before the absentee ballots were all counted and before the election results were certified by the Secretary of State. Both Kennedy and Tsongas had overwhelming victories, however, so those precedents may not be applicable to a close race.
US Senate Debate UMass Boston January 11, 2010
This video features the entire debate between Scott Brown, Martha Coakley, and Joe Kennedy, held a week before the Massachusetts Senate Special Election. The debate was moderated by David Gergen, and held on the campus of University Massachusetts- Boston, which will be the site of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate.
Prior Occupants of "Kennedy Seat" in Massachusetts Senate
While John and Ted Kennedy occupied the Massachusetts Class 1 Senate seat for over half a century, the seat has been occupied by other notables such as Daniel Webster and John Quincy Adams. The Kennedys were not the only family members to occupy the seat, either. Henry Cabot Lodge represented Massachusetts for 31 years, from 1893- 1924, and his grandsonson, Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., served from 1947-1953.
- 1789 - 1791: Tristram Dalton
- 1791 - 1796: George Cabot
- 1796 - 1800: Benjamin Goodhue
- 1800 - 1803: Jonathan Mason
- 1803 - 1808: John Quincy Adams
- 1808 - 1813: James Lloyd
- 1813 - 1816: Christopher Gore
- 1816- 1818: Eli P. Ashmun
- 1818 - 1820: Prentiss Mellen
- 1820 - 1827: Elijah H. Mills
- 1827 - 1841: Daniel Webster
- 1841 - 1845: Rufus Choate
- 1845 - 1850: Daniel Webster
- 1850 - 1851: Robert Charles Winthrop
- 1851: Robert Rantoul, Jr.
- 1851 - 1874: Charles Sumner
- 1874 - 1875: William B. Washburn
- 1875 - 1893: Henry L. Dawes
- 1893 - 1924: Henry Cabot Lodge
- 1924 - 1926: William M. Butler
- 1926 - 1947: David I. Walsh
- 1947 - 1953: Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr.http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=L000394
- 1953 - 1960: John F. Kennedy
- 1960 - 1962: Benjamin A. Smith II
- 1962 - 2009 : Edward M. Kennedy
- 2009 - 2010: Paul Kirk
- 2010 - present: Scott P. Brown
References
Fast Facts
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Date
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
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Candidates
Scott Brown, Martha Coakley, Joe Kennedy
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Polls Open
7 am - 8 pm
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Last date to request absentee ballot
January 15, 2010
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Term will expire
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Fact:
Winner replaces Ted Kennedy who held the Senate seat for 47 years
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Fact:
Republicans have not won a Massachusetts Senate election in 37 years
