The GOP candidate in a special election for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts has criticized his own party, saying the Republicans have failed to deliver change.
Gabriel Gomez, who is hoping to win over independent voters in a normally blue state, said on Monday that the GOP needs to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.
"One of the things I am going to change in Washington is my own party," said Gomez in a statement delivered at a campaign stop in Quincy, adding, "I am fully aware that in a few months from now, some in the Republican Party will consider me to be a pain in the butt. And I am OK with that."
The former Navy SEAL reportedly outlined several issues on which he differs with Republican leaders, including gay marriage, immigration reform and environmental protections.
"Right now, the GOP is a party that has promised more change than it has delivered and is sometimes stuck in the past," he said.
Gomez will face Democratic U.S. Rep. Edward Markey in the June 25 election to fill the Senate seat vacated by John Kerry when he was sworn in as Secretary of State.
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