Eight-Term Incumbent Rep. Tierney Trails Opponent in Mass. Race

Rep. John Tierney of Massachusetts is trailing his Republican challenger Richard Tisei following a blitz of attack ads by the GOP Super PAC Young Guns Action Fund which targeted a family scandal, Politico reported.

Richard Tisei — a former state senator and a one-time lieutenant governor nominee of his party who would become the lone openly gay elected Republican in Congress if elected — leads Tierney 45 percent to 37 percent in a poll taken for the Young Guns and shared with Politico.

Tierney, who has served eight terms, has been targeted for defeat due to a family scandal that resulted in his wife’s conviction on charges of tax fraud.

Questions about the scandal were expected to arise during a debate between the candidates on Thursday, but never came up, the Boston Globe reported.

The Globe reported Thursday that Tierney released six years of returns that did not include about $223,000 that prosecutors say his wife received from his brother-in-law’s gambling business in Antigua.

According to Politico, the Young Guns group has spent over $700,000 to hammer Tierney with attacks like this mailer saying: “Patrice Tierney goes to prison, John Tierney goes to Congress!”

“What kind of man would throw his wife under the bus to save his own political career?” another mailer asked.