| The Green Papers: Massachusetts 2009 General Election |
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Massachusetts
Elections for Statewide offices and Congress Special Primary Senate Class 1: Tuesday 8 December 2009 |
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The state legislators who will meet over the two years from 2009 through 2010 will make up the 186th GENERAL COURT OF MASSACHUSETTS. In 2004, the General Court (state Legislature), controlled by Democrats, changed the state law to require a special election to fill a vacant U.S. Senate Seat. The political implication was to prevent then Governor Mitt Romney (Republican) from appointing a successor to U.S. Senator John F. Kerry (Democrat) if Senator Kerry had won the Presidency. Prior to the change, the Governor appointed a successor-- there was no election. Massachusetts law requires a special election to fill a vacant Senate Seat no sooner than 145 days and no later than 160 days after the vacancy occurs. The Governor cannot appoint a successor. Following the 25 August 2009 passing of Senator Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy (Democrat), the General Court passed "House No. 4246 - Relative to filling a temporary vacancy in the United State Senate" to allow Governor Deval L. Patrick (Democrat) to appoint a temporary Senator (of the same party as Senator Kennedy) to serve until the special election.
In addition, the state House passed Resolution No.4248 "expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that a temporarily appointed United States Senator should not be a candidate in the ensuing special election". Text of the new law: SECTION 1. Section 140 of chapter 54 - (f) ... upon a vacancy ... the governor shall make a temporary appointment to fill the vacancy; provided, however, that the person so appointed shall serve until the election ... to fill the vacancy ... |
| U.S. Senate 6 year term. No Term Limit. 111th Senate Senate Electoral Classes | |||||
| Class 1 | Democratic | Senator Paul G. Kirk, Jr. • Appointed 24 September 2009 by Governor Deval L. Patrick to fill the vacancy caused by the 25 August 2009 passing of Senator Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy (Democrat). Sworn 25 September 2009. • Seat up for election: Tuesday 19 January 2010 • Open Seat - Senator Kirk will not run for election to this office. Special Primary to fill the seat: Tuesday 8 December 2009 Special Election: Tuesday 19 January 2010 Next regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2012 |
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• Received 28% in the 8 December 2009 primary • FEC H8MA08071: Financial report not available |
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Democratic | Attorney General Martha Coakley • Received 47% in the 8 December 2009 primary • FEC S0MA00075: $5,236,955 |
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• Received 13% in the 8 December 2009 primary • FEC S0MA00091: $2,305,120 |
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• Received 12% in the 8 December 2009 primary |
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Republican | state Senator Scott P. Brown • Received 89% in the 8 December 2009 primary • FEC S0MA00109: $1,220,077 |
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• Received 11% in the 8 December 2009 primary • FEC S0MA00042: $328,521 |
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Independent; (Libertarian; Boston Tea) | Joseph L. "Joe" Kennedy • FEC S0MA00141: $28,046 |
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On 25 August 2009, Senator Kennedy passed away from brain cancer at the age of 77. Senator Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was first elected to finish out the term in a Special Election in 1962 [held to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator John F. Kennedy (Democrat) on 22 December 1960- which Benjamin A. Smith II (Democrat) had been appointed by Governor Foster Furcolo (Democrat) to fill, 27 December 1960]; he was elected to first full term in 1964; and re-elected in 1970, 1976, 1982, 1988, 1994, 2000, and 2006. Upon the passing of Senator Kennedy, MASSACHUSETTS State law did not permit the Governor of the Commonwealth to appoint an interim successor when a vacancy in the United States Senate has occurred; instead, a Special Election for the remainder of the current term (the Class 1 seat would otherwise next be up for election in November 2012 and, therefore, the current term ends at Noon Eastern Standard Time on 3 January 2013) must be held no sooner than 145 days and no later than 160 days after a vacancy has occurred. On 23 September 2009, the General Court (state Legislature) changed the law to allow the Governor to appoint a temporary Senator who would serve until the Special Election. Tuesday 8 December 2009 Primary returns from a official source. | |||||
| Class 2 | Democratic | Senator John F. Kerry • First elected: 1984; re-elected: 1990, 1996, 2002, 2008 • Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2014 |
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| Governor 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2006, 2010. Term Limit: None, All Governors | |||||
| Democratic | Governor Deval L. Patrick • First elected: 2006 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010 |
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| Lieutenant Governor 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2006, 2010. Elected on a ticket with (but nominated separately from) the Governor | |||||
| Democratic | Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. "Tim" Murray • First elected: 2006 • Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010 |
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| 111th U.S. House of Representatives 2 year term, Election Cycle 2006, 2008. No Term Limit. 111th House | |||||
| Partisan Composition (primary disposition): 10 Democratic (10 Undetermined) | |||||
| CD 1 {map} |
Democratic | Congressman John Walter Olver • Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010 |
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| CD 2 {map} |
Democratic | Congressman Richard E. Neal • Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010 |
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| CD 3 {map} |
Democratic | Congressman James P. "Jim" McGovern • First elected: 1996 • Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010 |
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| CD 4 {map} |
Democratic | Congressman Barney Frank • Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010 |
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| CD 5 {map} |
Democratic | Congressman Nicola S. "Niki" Tsongas • First elected in a 16 October 2007 Special Election to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Democratic Congressman Marty Meehan. • Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010 |
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| CD 6 {map} |
Democratic | Congressman John F. Tierney • First elected: 1996 • Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010 |
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| CD 7 {map} |
Democratic | Congressman Edward J. "Ed" Markey • Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010 |
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| CD 8 {map} |
Democratic | Congressman Michael E. "Mike" Capuano • First elected: 1998 • Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010 • 8 September 2009: Announced his candidacy for the Class 1 Senate Seat. 8 December 2009: Lost the Class 1 Senate Seat Special Primary. |
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| CD 9 {map} |
Democratic | Congressman Stephen F. Lynch • First elected 16 October 2001 in a special election, re: the death of J. Joseph Moakley 28 May 2001. • Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010 • 1 September 2009: Possible candidate for the Special Election for the Class 1 Senate Seat 15 September 2009: Annnounced he will not run for former Senator Kennedy's seat in 2009: [the] "challenge of putting together the resources and organization necessary to wage a competitive statewide campaign in less than 90 days is insurmountable." |
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| CD 10 {map} |
Democratic | Congressman William D. "Bill" Delahunt • First elected: 1996 • Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010 |
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| Secretary of the Commonwealth 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2006, 2010 | |||||
| Democratic | Secretary of the Commonwealth William Francis "Bill" Galvin • First elected: 1994; re-elected: 1998, 2002, 2006 • Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010 |
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| Attorney General 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2006, 2010 | |||||
| Democratic | Attorney General Martha Coakley • First elected: 2006 • Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010 • 8 December 2009: Won the Democratic nomination for the Special Election for the Class 1 Senate Seat |
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| Treasurer and Receiver-General 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2006, 2010 | |||||
| Independent; (Democratic) | Treasurer and Receiver-General Timothy P. "Tim" Cahill • First elected as a Democrat: 2002; re-elected: 2006 • Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010 • Open Seat - 7 July 2009: Possible candidate for Governor in 2010. Announced he will be leaving the Democratic Party and declare himself "unenrolled". 8 July 2009: Registered as an Independent. 9 September 2009: Announced that he is running for Governor. |
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| Auditor 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2006, 2010 | |||||
| Democratic | Auditor A. Joseph "Joe" DeNucci • First elected: 1986; re-elected: 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 • Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010 • Open Seat - Retiring at the end of his term |
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| Political Parties Parties appear in parenthesis and italics when a candidate receives the endorsement of a given Party and/or official sources indicate a candidate's association with a particular Party but only where the Party in question does not appear on the actual ballot as such. |