Democrat Markey Wins Massachusetts Senate Seat

Longtime Democratic Rep. Edward Markey has won today's special election in Massachusetts for the Senate seat recently vacated by John Kerry. The 66-year-old Markey beat Republican challenger Gabriel Gomez, 47, a former Navy SEAL and businessman. Markey had 54% of the vote with about 90% of returns counted.

The race did not draw the deep interest of the 2010 special election between Republican Scott Brown and Democrat Martha Coakley to fill the seat held by Ted Kennedy. Brown pulled out a surprise victory that year, though he lost the seat to Democrat Elizabeth Warren in November. Markey vowed to avoid a repeat, bringing in President Obama and Bill Clinton to campaign with him. (More Edward Markey stories.)