Massachusetts Special Senate Race Worrying Democrats and Republicans

Democrats worried about level of support needed in a blue state while Republicans are worried about lack of support for the sort of candidate they will need in future elections

The Democratic favorite is a 37-year veteran of Washington, a loyal and established party soldier who's seeking a promotion to the Senate after a career in the House.

The Republican challenger is a newcomer to national politics, a Harvard-educated former Navy SEAL and second-generation Colombian immigrant who's running against the political establishment.

Gabriel Gomez would seem to be precisely the kind of candidate the post-2012 Republican Party would be looking for, in the kind of race they'd be looking for him in. On paper, it's a dream matchup for Republicans, in the state that -- while heavily Democratic -- vaulted Scott Brown from obscurity to the Senate during President Obama's first term.