united_states senate election massachusetts united_states senate election massachusetts took place november concurrently presidential election elections states elections house_of_representatives state local elections incumbent republican senator ran election term elected special election following death incumbent democratic senator brown faced party democrats initial wide field prospective candidates narrowed entry professor architect warren clinched near unanimous party support democratic candidates withdrawing following entrance winning party nomination eliminating need primary faced brown general election election followed races cost approximately million expensive election massachusetts history second expensive entire election cycle year presidential election despite candidates having agreed allow outside money influence race opinion polling indicated close race campaign warren opened small consistent lead final weeks went defeat brown votes background democratic senator elected died august brain september massachusetts governor appointed longtime friend kennedy chairman succeed kennedy special election held appointment especially controversial governor ability appoint interim senator removed administration democratic controlled legislature precaution senator presidential nominee elected president laws surrounding senate appointment quickly changed following kennedy death sued attempt halt appointment rejected judge special election held january republican state senator defeated democratic state attorney general upset victory brown republican elected massachusetts united_states senate began serving remainder kennedy term february republican primary faced challenges party political action committee group integral brown election vowed draft challenger brown unable find candidates incumbent senator polling results democratic primary held june warren received delegate votes candidate delegate votes necessary qualify primary ballot warren eliminated challenger facto nominee democratic primary held september warren running unopposed candidates declared nominee professor architect convention immigration lawyer withdrew state representative withdrew december founder city year withdrew october corporate lawyer withdrew march entrepreneur nominee lieutenant governor massachusetts withdrew october engineer withdrew december mayor newton withdrew september declined representative mayor salem representative representative widow representative television host political commentator representative mayor boston governor massachusetts representative state senator state representative polling results general election campaign brown ran moderate stressing ability cross party lines highlighting votes financial reform law repeal don ask don tell warren campaigned platform middle class supporting wall street regulation warren criticized brown continually voting republican leadership argued moderate claimed staple brown attack tactics warren consistent reference professor attempt portray academic brown faced second debate claimed conservative model supreme court justice prompting debate audience warren spoke democratic national convention immediately bill_clinton penultimate night convention warren contrasted president obama economic plan election republican_party economic policy stating vision clear got rest warren positioned champion middle class said brown attended speaker according brown rejected offer play larger role limited attendance single day scheduling demands following controversial legitimate rape comments brown sitting senator demand drop missouri race called party recognize platform pro choice good republican brown campaign endorsed massachusetts democrats prominently featured campaign ads september video warren explaining approach economic policy gained popularity internet video warren charge asking rich pay taxes class warfare pointing grew rich america depending infrastructure paid rest society july president obama sparked controversy echoed thoughts campaign speech saying somebody helped create unbelievable american system allowed thrive somebody invested roads bridges got business didn build somebody happen september warren declared intention run democratic nomination election massachusetts united_states senate seat won republican special election death week later video warren speaking popular internet warren replies charge asking rich pay taxes class warfare pointing grew rich america depending infrastructure paid rest society stating country got rich moved goods market roads rest paid hired workers rest paid educate safe factory police forces fire forces rest paid didn worry bands come seize factory hire protect work rest look built factory turned terrific great idea god big underlying social contract pay forward kid comes president barack_obama later echoed sentiments election campaign speech warren won democratic nomination june state democratic convention record votes delegates endorsed warren opponent agreed engage televised debates including consortium media outlets springfield boston warren encountered significant opposition business interests august political director claimed candidate represents greater threat free enterprise professor warren nonetheless raised million campaign senate candidate warren received primetime speaking slot immediately bill_clinton evening september warren positioned champion middle class according warren people feel like system rigged painful right system rigged warren said wall street wrecked economy destroyed millions jobs congress shame demanding favors acting like thank native american ancestry controversy april sparked election controversy drew attention entries listed minority professor according compiled information supplied law school based filled individual teachers warren stated self identified having native american ancestry order meet similar background listed minority professor response criticisms lack faculty diversity warren said unaware read newspaper election opponent speculated fabricated native ancestry gain advantage employment market brown campaign warren lineage attack ads response warren brothers issued joint statement stating grew listening mother grandmother relatives talk family delaware heritage dismissed allegations warren noting law schools pressure hire native americans action reasons warren record scholarship clearly sufficient appointed harvard according members warren maternal family claim heritage society found family newsletter alluded marriage license application listed great great great grandmother find primary document found proof warren native american heritage stated finding definitive answer native american heritage difficult deliberate avoidance registration members nation protested claim native american ancestry questioned colleagues universities worked including president ronald_reagan said warren ancestry mentioned played role hiring question warren ancestry pressed brown campaign election polls showed voters said controversy impact vote election autobiography devoted section allegations describing endorsements debates candidates agreed televised debates held candidates agreed fourth debate held october studio hosted boston consortium day pulled hurricane sandy widow proposed additional debate brown accept invitation pledged endorse brown opponent refused debate september studio hosted station political reporter complete video available debate october hosted complete video available debate october springfield hosted western consortium complete video available fundraising election cost approximately million making expensive election massachusetts history congressional race history second expensive election election cycle presidential election people pledge warren brown stated early race accept television advertisement assistance super interest groups january candidates signed agreement outside groups agreement candidates agreed donate sum equal advertisement run groups charity candidate choice pledge broken twice brown supporters march political equality launched ads supporting brown result brown campaign agreed donations respectively charity warren choice consortium donors contributions source center responsive politics contributions industry source center responsive politics polling registered voters likely voters results despite president obama winning state easily winning states counties race fairly close expected warren performed home state largest city capital boston brown performed southern state near warren history woman elected state massachusetts aftermath people pledge popular concept proposed implemented races pledge resulted fewer attack ads months election president barack_obama nominated senator united_states secretary state sworn february making newly inaugurated warren state senior senator senate junior senior senator senate special election replace following year democratic nominee asked republican rival sign similar pledge refused election critical event candidate political careers warren political icon entering senate drafted run president election loss brown considered prominent republican massachusetts heavily favored run senate special election following year governor declined instead moved new_hampshire ran senate democratic incumbent lost man lose senate races women
United States Senate election in Massachusetts, 2012