Gomez reiterates rejection of ‘People’s Pledge’

Newly minted Republican Senate nominee Gabriel Gomez on Wednesday reaffirmed his refusal to sign a pledge his Democratic opponent has taken to curb the influence of third party ads.

"I’m taking one pledge and one pledge only: to protect and defend the Constitution. That’s the pledge I made when defending my country, that’s the pledge my mother and father made when they came here from Colombia, and that’s my pledge to the people of Massachusetts," Gomez said in a statement. During the Massachusetts Republican Senate primary, he also rejected the pledge.

The so-called "People's Pledge," Gomez refers to is an agreement that imposes financial penalties on candidates any time an outside group runs a TV, radio, Internet, or mail advertisement on their behalf. His Democratic opponent Rep. Edward J. Markey signed the agreement months ago. The language is based off a similar agreement Republican Scott Brown and now-Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D) each signed during the 2012 campaign.