Martha Coakley

Martha Mary Coakley (born July 14, 1953) is the Attorney General of Massachusetts and Democratic candidate for a special election to fill the Senate seat vacated by the death of Edward Kennedy. The seat is now held by an appointee who is not running.

Previously she served as District Attorney of Middlesex County from 1999 though 2007.

On January 14th 2010, asked her opinion on a health care bill, she said that devout Catholics "probably shouldn't work in the emergency room."

Democrats had been favored to keep this Senate seat, and are in a state of shock as Coakley has lost her 30 point lead and trails Republican Scott Brown by a few points in the latest polls. Coakley has proven to be an ineffective candidate who is unable to reach independents. Brown is a much better campaigner, and leads 2-1 among independents, who will elect him if they turn out and vote. Brown's main theme is that he will be the 41st senator and will block the Obama health care plan--which Massachusetts does not need, he explains, because it has its own plan now in operation. Coakley responds by attacking bankers and bringing in big guns like Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, though their appearance underscores her strength among Democratic party regulars and her weakness against independents. A defeat for Coakley, coming on the heels of the Democrats' loss of Virginia and New Jersey in Nov. 2009, would be a major blow to the liberal cause and would reinvigorate the Republican party nationally.

Endorsements

• Emily's List
• SEIU and the usual Teamsters unions
• Massachusetts Gay & Lesbian Political Caucus
• Sierra Club
• Boston Globe
• Senator John Kerry
• Barack Hussein Obama

External Links

• Martha Coakley U.S. Senate campaign homepage