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[[File:Scottbrown.jpg|right|160px]]

[[File:Scottbrown.jpg|right|160px]]

'''Scott Brown''' (b. September 12, 1959) is a [[Republican]] State Senator representing the [[Massachusetts]] districts of Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex. Currently, Scott Brown is the GOP candidate for the open U.S. Senate seat long held by [[Edward Kennedy]] in a special election on January 19th, 2010. He is a conservative who stresses his record of fighting wasteful government spending and higher taxes. Brown believes in a culture of family, patriotism and freedom. <ref>[http://brownforussenate.com/senator-brown Scott Brown for U.S. Senate]</ref>   

'''Scott Brown''' (b. September 12, 1959) is the [[Republican]] Senator-elect in [[Massachusetts]], the seat long held by [[Edward Kennedy]]. Previously he represented the [[Massachusetts]] districts of Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex in the State Senate. He is a conservative who stresses his record of fighting wasteful government spending and higher taxes. Brown believes in a culture of family, patriotism and freedom. <ref>[http://brownforussenate.com/senator-brown Scott Brown for U.S. Senate]</ref>   

A major national upset is in the making as Brown is pulling ahead in the final hours of the campaign.

A major national upset, Brown is pulling ahead in the final hours of the campaign.

==Career==

==Career==

He is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Judge Advocate Generals (JAG) Corps and has served the Massachusetts [[National Guard]] since 1979.   

He is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Judge Advocate Generals (JAG) Corps and has served the Massachusetts [[National Guard]] since 1979.   

==U.S. Senate campaign==

==U.S. Senate campaign==

Democrats had been favored to keep this Senate seat, and are in a state of shock as the Democratic candidate [[Martha Coakley]] has lost her 30 point lead and fell behind Republican [[Scott Brown]] in the final week. Coakley, a party insider, has proven to be an ineffective candidate who is unable to reach out to independents.

Democrats had been favored to keep this Senate seat, and were in a state of shock when the Democratic candidate [[Martha Coakley]] lost her 30 point lead and fell behind Republican [[Scott Brown]] in the final week. Coakley, a party insider, proved to be an ineffective candidate who was unable to reach out to independents.  

The race originally was expected to heavily favor Democrats, since there are a million more registered Democrats than Republicans. But independents are the largest bloc and they have moved heavily to Brown.

Brown is a much better campaigner, and leads 2-1 among independents, who will elect him if they turn out and vote. Brown's main theme is that he will be the 41st senator and will block the Obama health care plan--which Massachusetts does not need, he explains, because it has its own plan now in operation. Coakley responds by attacking bankers and bringing in big guns like Bill Clinton, John Kerry and Barack Obama. Their appearance only underscores her base is among Democratic party regulars; the independents are rejecting the old time politics by voting for Brown by 2-1. Brown has the momentum going into the final days of the campaign, and leads Coakley by an 8-10 point margin in the final polls.  Coakley's best remaining hope is that freezing rain will keep angry voters home.  

The race originally was expected to heavily favor Democrats, since there are a million more registered Democrats than Republicans. But independents are the largest bloc and they moved heavily to Brown.

A defeat for Coakley, coming on the heels of the Democrats' loss of Virginia and New Jersey in Nov. 2009, would be a major blow to the liberal cause and would reinvigorate the Republican party nationally. A victory by Scott Brown would show that every Democrat seat, including Democratic-friendly districts, will not be secure or immune from replacement by their constituents.

Brown's main theme was that he would be the 41st senator and will block the Obama health care plan--which Massachusetts does not need, he explains, because it has its own plan now in operation. Coakley responded by attacking bankers and bringing in big guns like [[Bill Clinton]], [[John Kerry]] and [[Barack Obama]]. Their appearance only underscored her base among Democratic party regulars; the independents rejected the old time politics by voting for Brown by 2-1. Brown had the momentum going into the final days of the campaign, and led Coakley by an 8-10 point margin in the final polls.  

==Latest poll results==

 

==Final poll results==

[[File:Sbrown1.jpg|thumb|290px|right|a last minute appeal]]

[[File:Sbrown1.jpg|thumb|290px|right|a last minute appeal]]

see [http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2010/senate/ma/massachusetts_senate_special_election-1144.html latest polls and crosstabs]

see [http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2010/senate/ma/massachusetts_senate_special_election-1144.html latest polls and crosstabs]