Election 2008 : Newcomer seeks to unseat John Kerry
Published: October 30, 2008
Senator John F. Kerry was first elected to the US Senate in 1984. He has represented Massachusetts since, and in 2004 the Yale graduate and decorated Vietnam veteran was the Democratic Party nominee for president.
His experience and positions on health care and the environment have won Mr. Kerry the endorsement of several large newspapers in the state.
In an editorial published on Oct. 20, the Boston Globe wrote, "The country needs his voice more than ever to push for expanded healthcare, action on global warming, and generous aid to countries facing the AIDS epidemic. The Globe endorses him for a fifth term."
Republican Jeff Beatty, a resident of Harwich, has challenged Mr. Kerry for his Senate seat. A graduate of Rutgers, Mr. Beatty is a former Army Delta Force officer, FBI Agent and CIA counter-terrorism officer who went on to found an anti-terrorism consulting firm.
According to his campaign website Mr. Beatty supports reduced government spending, energy self-reliance, tougher measures to control illegal immigration, and goals as opposed to timetables in Iraq.
