Massachusetts Candidates Clash in First Debate

Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) and Gabriel Gomez (R) “clashed in their first debate in Massachusetts’ special U.S. Senate election Wednesday, sparring on abortion, national security and gun issues. A recurring theme of the one-hour matchup at the WBZ-TV studios was Gomez’s claim that Markey is representative of old-style Washington politics while Markey suggested that Gomez would be another Republican vote for gridlock in Congress,” the Boston Globe reports.

Jim O’Sullivan notes the awkwardness of both candidates: “Neither Gomez nor Markey demonstrated himself as a forceful, effective debater, in line with expectations for many who observed the Republican and Democratic primary debates.”