Democratic Congressman Edward J. Markey is the new U.S. senator from Massachusetts, beating out Republican businessman Gabriel E. Gomez with 54 percent of the vote in a special election. Markey, who has served over 37 years in Congress, won by painting Gomez as too conservative for the blue state, and Massachusetts Dems were determined to avoid another Scott Brown in the Senate. Didn't know about the election? Neither did Massachusetts voters; the election was marked by low voter interest and turnout.