If Republicans lose on Tuesday for the second time in the past seven months, the Bay State’s short run as a stomping ground for competitive Senate races will come to an abrupt halt. Former Sen. Scott P. Brown’s surprise win started it all in 2010, but GOP nominee Gabriel Gomez appears unlikely to pull off an encore performance in the special election to replace Secretary of State John Kerry. In recent days, polls showed Democratic Rep. Edward J. Markey with a sizable lead over Gomez in the state’s third Senate race in as many years. A Gomez loss, especially by a double-digit margin, would offer GOP donors, operatives and prospective statewide candidates for federal office even less incentive to expend the time and resources needed to win Massachusetts in 2014. The defeat would also further highlight the GOP’s recent disappearing act among New England's congressional delegations. (more…)
