Advertisement

Capuano: 'Couldn't Catch Up' To Coakley

Rep. Michael Capuano (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
Rep. Michael Capuano walks up the steps to the podium to give his concession speech. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Rep. Michael Capuano spoke to a crowd of disappointed supporters at the Fairmont Copley Hotel and said his campaign "couldn't catch up" to Martha Coakley's statewide operation.

The crowd included U.S. Sen. John Kerry; Gov. Deval Patrick's wife, Diane Patrick; and former Gov. Michael Dukakis. Capuano called the state's attorney general a "pretty good candidate" and promised to support her bid for the Senate seat in January's general election.

Meantime, Capuano's supporters were glum, if not despondent.

"We really thought we were going to do it," said Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone. "We did our best," said Toni Shelzi, who worked the phones from the Cambridge campaign headquarters. "We didn't have enough time. (Coakley) started before Teddy Kennedy died."

Some supporters took consolation in the fact that they'll still have Capuano in office. The congressman said he'll return to the U.S. House of Representative with a "renewed interest in the issues."

This program aired on December 8, 2009. The audio for this program is not available.

Advertisement

More from WBUR

Listen Live
Close