Senate Candidates Square-Off For First Time Saturday in Tewksbury

Without question, Tewksbury is one of the most Republican-leaning communities in Massachusetts.

So it's appropriate that this should be the site of the first skirmish in the truncated primary battle for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate.

Former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan, private equity investor and former Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez and state Rep. Daniel Winslow will be at Tewksbury Town Hall on Saturday at 3 p.m. for the Republican Town Committee's Candidate Forum.

The forum, which is open to the public, will also feature appearances by at least 11 of the candidates for office in the April 6 Municipal Election. A final list of the participants has not yet been released by the TRTC.

However, the three GOP Senate candidates are likely to capture center stage, as this will be the first time they will be campaigning in the same location at the same time. The forum will allow each of the candidates to speak for 5-10 minutes and will serve as a preview to a GOP Debate scheduled for Tuesday night in Easton.

In addition to trying to stand out among their rivals, the GOP candidates will likely take the opportunity to lob some salvos in the direction of Democratic Congressman Ed Markey, the recognized frontrunner in the race to fill the seat in the Senate left vacant when John Kerry was confirmed as Sec. of State.

A recent UMass Lowell/Boston Herald poll showed Markey leading fellow Democratic Congressman Stephen Lynch by 29 points among likely voters and leading each of the GOP candidates by at least 17 points._