Senate Candidates Square Off In First Debate

BOSTON — The three candidates vying for the U.S. Senate seat are debating for the first time.

Attorney General Martha Coakley, state Sen. Scott Brown and technology executive Joseph Kennedy will face off Monday night at 8 p.m. on WBZ Radio.

Tufts University political science professor Jeffrey Berry said one of the big challenges is competing with the holidays.

“There is a real challenge to get voters out there and I think that’s really going to depend on organization and not the debates,” Berry said, “and the organizational advantage certainly goes to Martha Coakley.”

Berry says Kennedy is going to focus on raising his stature as a smart candidate who can affect change, while Brown will try to build up support from the Republican base.