With the Democratic primary special election to replace Ted Kennedy set for tomorrow, AG Martha Coakley brought out her biggest gun last, via robocall:
Last night, her campaign announced that President Clinton had recorded the phone message.
“Martha Coakley will go to Washington to fight every day to create good jobs with good benefits and to get health reform with a strong public option,” Clinton says in the message. “You can trust her to get results in the Senate just as she has as your attorney general. This election is very important to Massachusetts. So don’t forget to vote tomorrow and please vote for Martha Coakley.”
Coakley is hoping to blunt some last-minute momentum from Rep. Michael Capuano, at least as seen in his own internal poll from pollster Tom Kiley. Kiley says that Coakley is “around” 35, with Capuano down by 7 points (for presumably 28), with Stephen Pagliuca around 10 and Alan Khazei around 7. This is quite different, naturally, from Coakley’s own internals announced on Friday, where she leads Capuano 41-20, so the question remains: is Capuano within striking distance, or not?
City Year founder Khazei doesn’t look like he’s going to be winning, but his is an interesting story, in terms of the establishment endorsements he picked up along the way. Not only did he get the Boston Globe’s endorsement, but this photo via Politico gives a hint of where the Kennedy family’s heart may lie: it shows Caroline Kennedy in attendance at Michael Bloomberg’s fundraiser for Khazei (although she did not officially endorse or even donate).
RaceTracker Wiki: MA-Sen
I think Patrick Kennedy attended a Capuano fundraiser, although he didn’t officially endorse either.
But he’s definitely impressive. What CD does he live in? I could see a congressional career in his future if he shows over 10% tomorrow and happens to live in one of the districts that could conceivable open up in the next few cycles.
Also, if I’m not mistaken, wouldn’t he be the first Persian-American in congress?
As a Massachusetts resident, I would probably prefer that Capuano stay in the House. HIs seniority doesn’t transfer to the Senate, and he would be number 100. Of course, his House colleagues have a variety of reasons to want him in the Senate (EMK was always considered to be the workhorse of the Senate delegation, and Kerry. . .not so much; they want someone there who can move legislation).
Could MA congressional support for Capuano have something to do with MA losing a congressional district in the next re-apportionment? If the folks in and around his district worry about having to run against him, it would make sense for them to support his “moving up” and then they can divy up his seat and avoid a bloddy street brawl. If he does lose, as it appears he will, he may not have enough funds to successfully fight a primary so he’ll likely retire and his district will be dissolved and absorbed into neighboring seats.