Senate Race in Massachusetts Starting to Tighten

Dont look know but Ed Markey is starting to sweat in the battle for an open U.S. Senate seat in Massachusetts later this month.

Earlier polls showed Markey with a double-digit lead but two polls released on Monday show the Democratic congressman with a smaller margin over Republican challenger Gabriel Gomez in the special election for the seat vacated when John Kerry became secretary of state.

Suffolk University released a poll showing Markey with 48 percent and Gomez with 41 percent with the rest undecided or backing minor candidates.

Ed Markey continues to lead but the margin has dwindled, said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center, on Monday. Markeys core ballot test number has fallen below 50 percent and recent Obama administration scandals, especially the Associated Press phone records scrutiny, have touched a nerve with likely voters who are holding back or no longer supporting Markey and President Obama with the same intensity.

The poll of 500 likely Massachusetts voters was taken from June 6-9 and had a margin of error of +/- 4.4 percent.

Meanwhile, another poll released on Monday shows Markey with an even smaller lead. Republican pollster McLaughlin and Associates released a poll with Markey leading with 45 percent and Gomez right behind him with 44 percent. That poll finds Gomez in solid shape with 48 percent seeing the Republican as favorable and 27 percent viewing him as unfavorable. Markey is treading water with 42 percent viewing the veteran Democrat congressman as favorable and the same percent of voters seeing him as unfavorable.

With less than three weeks to go to Election Day, Gabriel Gomez has the momentum in the race, pollster John McLaughlin insisted. Gomezs high favorable ratings will be a strong asset over Markeys high unfavorable ratings in this neck-and-neck race.

The poll of 400 likely Massachusetts voters was taken from June 5-6 and had a margin of error of +/- 4.9 percent.

Republicans can certainly compete in Massachusetts on occasion. Look at victories in recent years for William Weld and Mitt Romney. Republican Scott Brown won the special election for Ted Kennedys Senate seat back in 2010. But Democrats have the advantage in the Bay State and no other pollster is showing the race as tight as McLaughlin is.

The special election will be held on June 25.