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In Letter, GOP's Gomez Touts His Support Of Obama

Massachusetts Republican U.S. Senate candidate Gabriel Gomez touted his 2008 support of Democratic President Obama and said he backed Obama's positions on gun control and immigration reform in a letter (PDF) to Gov. Deval Patrick.

Gomez sent the letter to Patrick in January. At the time, Gomez was trying to persuade Patrick to appoint him on an interim basis to the Senate seat left vacant by the resignation of John Kerry. Patrick instead appointed his former aide, William "Mo" Cowan, to the seat.

In the letter, Gomez cast himself as a "moderate Republican" and said he supported Obama in 2008. An aide said on Wednesday that Gomez was referring to a donation he made to Obama in 2008, but that he voted for Republican John McCain in the election.

Gomez also wrote that he supports Obama's position on gun control and immigration. Obama has pushed for an assault weapons ban, something Gomez now says he opposes.

The aide said Gomez meant he was willing to work with Obama, but didn't back specific policies.

Separately, Gomez earned more than $8.5 million from 2007 through 2011 and paid nearly $1.9 million in taxes, his campaign revealed Wednesday.

Gomez said his effective tax rate is 21 percent.

Gomez, a former Navy SEAL, left the military in 1996 to earn a master's degree from Harvard Business School. He worked for the private equity firm Advent International beginning in 2004.

Fellow Republican hopeful Norfolk state Rep. Daniel Winslow reported earning nearly $2.1 million during the same time period.

Winslow said his average federal tax rate during the past nine years is 22 percent.

Fellow GOP Senate hopeful Michael Sullivan has also pledged to release tax information.

This article was originally published on March 13, 2013.

This program aired on March 13, 2013. The audio for this program is not available.

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