WBURVicki Kennedy Endorses Coakley In Senate Race

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley waves during an event where her candidacy for the senate seat of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy was endorsed by his widow, Vicki Kennedy, right, and interim Sen. Paul Kirk, left, in Medford, on Thursday. (AP)

Democrat Martha Coakley waves during an event Thursday where her candidacy for the seat of the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy was endorsed by his widow, Vicki Kennedy, right, and interim Sen. Paul Kirk, left, in Medford. (AP)

The widow of Edward M. Kennedy has formally endorsed Democrat Martha Coakley in her bid for the late senator’s seat.

Vicki Kennedy, campaigning with Coakley on Thursday, told supporters in Medford that the attorney general will support the issues the senator had cared about.

“Martha Coakley shares those beliefs, and she’ll go to Washington and fight for us,” Vicki Kennedy said.

Interim Sen. Paul Kirk, who is filling in for Kennedy in Washington, and the senator’s nephew, former Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II, joined Vicki at the Medford Senior Center for the event.

Vicki Kennedy formally endorsed Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, right, in the race for her late husband Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's Senate seat during an event Thursday in Medford. (AP)

Vicki Kennedy formally endorsed Coakley, right, at a campaign event Thursday. (AP)

Vicki Kennedy said Coakley would continue the “world-class” representation provided by her late husband. She said Coakley has already fought tough fights on health care as attorney general “and she’ll fight for us in the U.S. Senate.”

The Kennedy family had issued a statement of support for Coakley the night she won the Democratic primary. Thursday’s show of support seemed aimed at getting Democrats energized to vote as Coakley finds herself in a tight race with Republican state Sen. Scott Brown.

“We can’t take this election for granted,” Vicki Kennedy said. “Our biggest enemy here is complacency.” She paused, then added, “And winter.”

The only published poll in the race between the two candidates found there is no meaningful difference between voters’ level of support for each candidate. The Rasmussen poll found Coakley leading Brown 50 percent to 41 percent, a nine-point difference, but with a margin of error of 4.5 percent either way, which means that Brown could actually be tied with Coakley.

Coakley faces Brown and independent candidate Joseph L. Kennedy, no relation to the political family, in the Jan. 19 election.

WBUR Topics · Health · Politics
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  • Geoff Seidel

    After repeated responses concerning your inaccurate headlines based in inadequate grasp of basic statistics you still find it appropriate to include statements like “no meaningful difference” and “Brown could be tied with Coakley”. Please Fred, be true to your profession and at least indicate the liklihood that these statements are, in fact true. Otherwise, its very misleading and one can only assume you need headlines or have an agenda.

  • jim

    Here we go again, the left wingers are getting personal and petty because the polling results are a little too close to their liking.

    With the margin of error of 4.5 percent either way, which means that Brown could actually be tied with Coakley or Coakley could be up by 18.

    Happy now moron.

  • Geoff Seidel

    Could be tied? what is the liklihood this is the case? Its a case of probability. If you don’t mention the probability of these outcomes(Brown tied with Coakley, or others), and imply, if not state that they are in a statistical dead heat, the headline is very misleading. Give the basic probabilities. Thats fair, accurate reporting. If one throws out figures, its’s only appropriate that you include the detail that gives the reader the necessary information to see beyond the headline. This is what WBUR is historically about; reporting accurately, providing more than attention grabbing headlines, and most importantly including the rest of the story.

    Good Day !!

  • kim

    Please stop.

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