Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley becomes the first candidate to pick up nomination papers to run for the seat vacated by the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. Coakley became a national figure when she recently filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Defense of Marriage Act and potentially brings the fight to repeal DOMA to the Senate.
The Boston Globe: "Coakley has been quietly been putting together her Senate campaign over the past year, but has yet to announce officially. She has told associates she will run for the seat even if a Kennedy family member enters the race. Joseph P. Kennedy II is said to be eyeing the race; people close to the family have said the late senator's wife, Vicki, is not interested in the seat. Three members of Congress—Edward J. Markey, Stephen F. Lynch, and Michael Capuano —are also considering running."
In July 2009, Coakley filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government challenging the constitutionality of DOMA. Massachusetts v. United States claims that Congress, in enacting the Defense of Marriage Act, "overstepped its authority, undermined states' efforts to recognize marriages between same-sex couples, and codified an animus towards gay and lesbian people."
In mid-February, LGBT legal analyst Chris Geidner reported that Coakley had "conducted polling and purchased Coakleyforsenate.com." Said Geidner: "If Coakley were to take aim at ... Sen. Kennedy’s seat, she would be an excellent person to continue his legacy."
Coakley must gather 10,000 signatures and present them to the Commonwealth by Nov. 3 for the Dec. 8 primary election and the Jan. 19 final election.
Thanks CHRIS GEIDNER and R. MARTINEZ
She seems like the ideal candidate! I hope she doesn't have any BIG skeletons in the the closet. If she can keep her nose clean her chances are Good!
Posted by: Isis | 03 September 2009 at 00:07