Gabriel E. Gomez

Gabriel Gomez
Personal details
Born Gabriel Eduardo Gomez
August 27, 1965
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Sarah Gomez
Children 4 children
Alma mater United States Naval Academy
Harvard University
Religion Roman Catholicism
Website Campaign website
Military service
Allegiance  United States
Service/branch United States Navy
Years of service 1983–1996
Rank Lieutenant Commander
Unit Navy SEALs

Gabriel Eduardo Gomez (born August 27, 1965)[1] is an American politician and was the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in the 2013 special election in Massachusetts, to replace U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. Gomez was defeated by U.S. Representative Ed Markey. Gomez is also a private equity investor and former Navy SEAL. Gomez is one of the only people in American history to serve as both an Aircraft Carrier Pilot and a Navy SEAL

Early life and education

Gomez was born in Los Angeles, to Colombian immigrants.[2] He grew up in Yakima, Washington, where his father worked as a business executive.[3][4] Gomez was a good student and star athlete, who brought home the state’s tennis championship for Eisenhower High School in 1983.[5] Gomez's tennis skills attracted recruiters for the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and he received an appointment.[3] He graduated with merit with an engineering degree on May 20, 1987. He earned his MBA from Harvard Business School.[4]

Military and later career

After becoming a United States Naval Aviator, Gomez flew E-2C Hawkeyes and C-2A Greyhounds off aircraft carriers.[2] While his commanding officer cautioned him against it, he later became a Navy SEAL, graduating at the top of his class.[4] He left the military in 1996.[2] He became a private equity investor, working for Bowles Hollowell Conner in North Carolina and then Summit Partners in Boston.[4]

2013 U.S. Senate election

In 2013, when Massachusetts senior U.S. Senator John Kerry was nominated to be U.S. Secretary of State and resigned his office, Gomez announced his candidacy as a Republican for that office. On April 30, 2013, Gomez defeated former U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts and former Acting Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Michael Sullivan and State Representative Daniel Winslow in the Republican primary with 51% of the vote.[6] He lost the special election to Democratic U.S. Representative Ed Markey on June 25, 2013 by 10 percentage points.[7]

In May 2013, the non-profit group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed an ethics complaint against Gomez with the Senate Select Committee on Ethics for allegedly failing to disclose clients while working for the private equity firm Advent International.<ref name='O'Donnell01'>O'Donnell, Jake (May 29, 2013). "Ethics Complaint Filed Against Gomez". Patch Media. Retrieved June 8, 2013.</ref> Gomez' spokesman dismissed the complaint as "merit-less".[8]

On June 25, 2013, Gomez was defeated by Markey, 55%-45%. Although outside groups participated extensively in support of either candidate in the election, the flood of money that had been expected to be spent on behalf of Gomez did not materialize.[9] Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, indicated that Gomez would run again for the seat in the November 2014 regular election, in an attempt to win a full six-year term. Gomez later decided not to seek elected office during the 2014 election cycle, but has stated he may return to politics in the future.[9]

Political positions

During the 2013 race, Gomez cast himself as a "new kind of Republican," based particularly on certain of his views on divisive social issues. Gomez expressed support for same-sex marriage, expanded background checks for gun purchases, and a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. Gomez considered himself personally pro-life, however he stated that abortion was "settled law" and that he would not support any legislation that would limit or restrict a women's right to choose. During the election Gomez did not support an ban on assault weapons.[9] He later reversed that position.[10]

Gomez agreed with Senator Marco Rubio's position that a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants should only become available after the U.S.-Mexico border was certified as secure. Although originally claiming to be opposed to high-capacity assault rifle bans, Gomez supported extended background checks on gunowners.[11] However, during the campaign the Boston Globe published a guest editorial by Gomez in which he switched that position and announced his support for bans on semi-auto "assault-style weapons" and "high capacity" magazines.[12] Gomez indicated that he is personally pro-life, but acknowledged that because he considers abortion to be a difficult, personal choice, he would not seek to change existing laws allowing abortions.[13]

Gomez donated to the Obama campaign in 2008.[14] However, in 2012, Gomez was a media spokesperson for the Special Operations OPSEC Education Fund, which criticized President Obama for releasing details related to the death of Osama bin Laden.[15]

In December 2013, Gomez wrote a Facebook post in regards to two conservative activists, which said, “The level of ignorance and intolerance exhibited by them and their small ‘Klan’ are an embarrassment to our civil society. Merry Christmas,” Before announcing his apology, Gomez said he did not regret writing the post. Gomez insisted his reference to "Klan" was not referring to Ku Klux Klan.[16]

Personal life

While deployed as a Navy SEAL platoon commander in Saint Lucia, Gomez met his future wife, who was working as a Peace Corps volunteer in the nearby island nation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.[4] They reside in Cohasset, Massachusetts with their four children.[17] He is Roman Catholic.[13]

References

  1. ↑ "GOP Senate hopeful Gabriel Gomez, at a glance". Recorder.com. April 23, 2013. Retrieved May 1, 2013.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Gabriel Gomez for Senate". Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Horowitz, Jason (May 9, 2013). "Gabriel Gomez: GOP hope in Massachusetts". Washington Post.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Ebbert, Stephanie (April 22, 2013). "Gabriel Gomez runs on practical, apolitical experience: In a life of seizing opportunity, he reaches for one more". Boston Globe.
  5. ↑ "Tournament History: Championship Information (4A Boys Tennis)". Washington Interscholastic Activities Association.
  6. ↑ "Massachusetts US Senate - 2013 Republican Primary Results". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  7. ↑ Live Results: Massachusetts Senate Special Election Huffington Post. June 25, 2013. Retrieved June 25, 2013
  8. ↑ Jaffe, Alexandra (May 31, 2013). "Democrats increase pressure on Gomez to release client list". The Hill. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Seelye, Katharine Q. "Democrat Wins Special Election for Kerry’s Senate Seat". The New York Times. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
  10. ↑ http://www.usatoday.com/story/onpolitics/2013/09/25/gomez-assault-weapons-senate-massachusetts/2869619/
  11. ↑ Peoples, Steve (May 8, 2013). "Republican U.S. Senate candidate Gabriel Gomez on his own for now". The Republican. AP. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  12. ↑ http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2013/09/24/podium-gomez/uaRM8GddCCAF5CbFre6dIL/story.html
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Gabriel E. Gomez formally joins the GOP Senate race". Boston.com. February 28, 2013. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  14. ↑ Linskey, Annie (May 3, 2013). "Obama Donor Gomez Runs as Republican After Link to Clinton Aide". Businessweek. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  15. ↑ Schoenberg, Shira (February 15, 2013). "Massachusetts Senate candidate Gabriel Gomez was spokesman for controversial anti-Obama film". The Republican.
  16. ↑ Miller, Joshua. "Former GOP Senate candidate Gabriel Gomez apologizes after throwing 'Klan' label at activists". Boston.com. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  17. ↑ Thys, Fred. "On Trail, Republican Gomez Counts Political Neophyte Status As Asset". WBUR. Retrieved May 4, 2013.

External links

Party political offices
Preceded by
Jeff Beatty		 Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from Massachusetts
(Class 2)
2013 		Succeeded by
Brian Herr