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Mass. Congressional Hopefuls Racing To Primaries

Candidates hoping to fill Massachusetts' open 5th Congressional District seat are making their final primary pitches against a backdrop of bitter partisanship in Washington and a grinding government shutdown.

The seven Democrats and three Republicans vying for Edward Markey's old seat are scrambling to shore up supporters in the final 10 days before party voters whittle down the contest.

It's the latest special election following the contest this summer that propelled Markey into the Senate, filling the seat left vacant by John Kerry's appointment as secretary of state.

But while the candidates have campaigned on a host of issues - from jobs to abortion rights and foreign policy - it's the ongoing stalemate over the funding of government services that's dominating voter perceptions of Congress just ahead of the primary.

This program aired on October 5, 2013. The audio for this program is not available.

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