News reports from the final debate between Democrat Ed Markey and Republican Gabriel Gomez conclude that Gomez, a first-time candidate and self-styled “new kind of Republican,” delivered a strong performance. With just days left in the campaign before the June 25 special election for Senate, Gomez has trailed Markey, a 37-year veteran of the House, in every single poll. Markey currently leads by average of more than 9 points.

But in the debate Tuesday night, Gomez hit Markey hard on the Democrat’s long Washington tenure, a running theme in the Republican’s campaign. Here’s an excerpt from the Boston Globe‘s report: