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BOSTON — Sen. John Kerry is facing his first primary opponent since he first took office 23 years ago, and his challenger has one issue in mind: The senator’s 2003 vote authorizing President Bush to launch military action against Iraq.

Ed O’Reilly said he was so incensed by Kerry’s vote that he gave up his law practice to devote himself full-time to ousting the Democratic 2004 presidential nominee from office.

“I looked at that and said ‘What kind of person would vote for a war knowing it’s wrong?”‘ said O’Reilly, who supported Kerry’s 2004 presidential bid after initially backing Howard Dean. “John Kerry knew the vote was wrong but to increase his chances to become president he voted for it anyway. It was a calculated vote based on his own political ambition.”

Kerry has defended his vote, saying it was intended to give Bush a strong hand in seeking international sanctions — an option he says the White House did not pursue effectively.

Although few give O’Reilly anything more than long shot odds at defeating Kerry, the 55-year-old lawyer and former firefighter from the fishing village of Gloucester has already scored one victory.
Earlier this month, O’Reilly received the backing of about 23 percent of delegates at the annual state Democratic convention — despite an effort by Kerry supporters to deny him the 15 percent needed to get a spot on the ballot.

“John Kerry and his campaign worked so hard from the top down in order to squelch my candidacy and I still came out with nearly one out of four of the party insiders,” he said. “That says a lot about how people feel about John Kerry.”

A recent poll found 51 percent of people who have voted in previous general elections said it’s time to give someone other than Kerry a chance, while 38 percent said the senator deserves to be re-elected. Nine percent were undecided, and 2 percent didn’t respond. The Suffolk University/WHDH-TV poll of 500 Massachusetts voters was conducted during June 8-10 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

Kerry supporters note the poll didn’t mention O’Reilly. They also say the 23 percent of delegates O’Reilly won at the Democratic convention included pro-Hillary Clinton activists upset with Kerry’s support of Barack Obama.

Kerry campaign manager Roger Lau pointed to a series of Kerry accomplishments, including legislation helping families avoid foreclosure, money for veterans’ counseling services and $13 million in disaster assistance for the Massachusetts fishing industry.

“John Kerry is running for re-election because he wants to keep fighting to end the war in Iraq, make America energy independent and finally achieve health care for all Americans,” Lau said.

Overshadowing the campaign is Sen. Edward Kennedy’s battle with a malignant brain tumor. Denying Kerry another term would raise the possibility of Massachusetts having two novice U.S. senators if Kennedy were to be unable to complete his term.

The winner of the Sept. 22 primary will face Republican Jeffrey Beatty, a security consultant.

The primary challenge could be helpful for Kerry because it forces him to strengthen his ties at home, where he’s faced frequent criticism as being aloof and disinterested in the nitty gritty of constituent services.

“It’s probably healthy for him having to spend the summer interacting with voters in his home state,” said Julian Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. “He’s a true incumbent. He’s elected because he’s been elected. He doesn’t elicit the same kind of loyalty as Kennedy.”

O’Reilly put himself through law school at night while working as a firefighter and also has worked as a commercial lobsterman. As a lawyer, he says he’s been involved in about 1,500 trials across the state over 20 years of practice. His only elected office was a stint on the school committee in Gloucester.

Although Kerry’s vote on the Iraq war propelled O’Reilly into the campaign, he said he’s tried to broaden his appeal by taking on other issues, from renewable energy to health care.

O’Reilly, who is unmarried and has a 26-year-old daughter, says he’s undaunted by the vast financial gap between the two campaigns. He said his campaign has spent about $150,000. Kerry has a war chest in the millions.

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REPUBLICANS

John McCain: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma

Mitt Romney: Alaska, Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Utah

Mike Huckabee: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, West Virginia

DEMOCRATS

Hillary Clinton: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Tennessee

Barack Obama: Alaska, Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Utah

STATE

Alabama: Barack Obama, Mike Huckabee

Alaska: Barack Obama, Mitt Romney

Arizona: Hillary Clinton, John McCain

Arkansas: Hillary Clinton, Mike Huckabee

California: Hillary Clinton, John McCain

Colorado: Barack Obama, Mitt Romney

Connecticut: Barack Obama, John McCain

Delaware: Barack Obama, John McCain

Georgia: Barack Obama, Mike Huckabee

Idaho (D): Barack Obama

Illinois: Barack Obama, John McCain

Kansas (D): Barack Obama

Massachusetts: Hillary Clinton, Mitt Romney

Minnesota: Barack Obama, Mitt Romney

Missouri: Barack Obama, John McCain

Montana (R): Mitt Romney

New Jersey: Hillary Clinton, John McCain

New Mexico: TBD

New York: Hillary Clinton, John McCain

North Dakota: Barack Obama, Mitt Romney

Oklahoma: Hillary Clinton, John McCain

Tennessee: Hillary Clinton, Mike Huckabee

Utah: Barack Obama, Mitt Romney

West Virginia (R): Mike Huckabee

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Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney won the GOP primary in his home state on Tuesday against Arizona Sen. John McCain, while New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton came out on top in the Democratic race over rival Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.

Romney had enough goodwill left among fellow Massachusetts Republicans to carry him over McCain.

“There was a special feeling in my heart when I realized that three places where I lived have all voted for us: Michigan, Massachusetts and Utah,” Romney told a crowd of supporters Tuesday night.

Though his chief opponent McCain was faring better and taking more states on Tuesday, Romney vowed to keep fighting for the ultimate prize: the presidency.

“It’s not all done tonight,” declared Romney. “We’re going to keep battling, we’re going to go all the way to the convention and we’re going to win the White House.”

The race between Obama and Clinton was too close to call as polls closed Tuesday, but Clinton was soon declared the winner, in spite of Obama’s significant endorsements from Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy and the state’s Gov. Deval Patrick.

“You know that politics isn’t a game,” Clinton told supporters Tuesday night. “It’s not about who’s up and who’s down. It’s about your lives and your families. We know that what we need is someone ready on Day 1 to solve our problems.”

The New York senator relied on rank-and-file lawmakers, who cranked up their get-out-the-vote efforts on Super Tuesday.

Massachusetts voters who handed a win to Clinton said they chose her because she’s the more seasoned candidate.

“Obama seems like a nice guy, but I’m just worried he doesn’t have enough experience to be president,” said Bob Poland, 49, a Boston travel agent who also cited Clinton’s stance on health care and economic issues.

Romney, criticized for treating Massachusetts as a stepping stone while governor, won his home state by finding favor with voters who support him on immigration and the economy, according to preliminary exit poll results conducted for The Associated Press.

“It’s touching to have folks remember us fondly,” Romney said after voting Tuesday afternoon in Belmont.

Romney won 51 percent of the vote, compared to 41 percent for McCain and 4 for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee with 12 percent of the 2,167 precincts reporting.

On the Democratic side, Clinton had 58 percent of the vote to Obama’s 39 percent, with 24 percent of precincts reporting.

Kennedy had summoned memories of his brother the slain president when he endorsed Obama a week ago, and Patrick — who shared Obama’s message of hope when he mustered grassroots support for to win the governor’s race — campaigned hard for his fellow Chicagoan.

But Clinton had the network on the ground to get out the votes, with the support of Senate President Therese Murray, who has suggested Clinton lost key endorsements in part because she’s a woman, and House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi, who is often at odds with Patrick.

John Stephen Dwyer, a 40-year-old education coordinator from Boston, said he voted for Obama.

“I like his optimism,” Dwyer said. “I like his boldness on environmental issues I like his consistency in not supporting our military action overseas.”

Turnout was expected to set a record, as even cold rain and sleet across the state didn’t stop people from voting in the primary in Massachusetts, one of more than 20 states electing delegates on Super Tuesday.

The largest primary turnout in Massachusetts was in 1980, when just over 1.3 million people voted. The ballot included Sen. Kennedy and Jimmy Carter on the Democratic side, and Republicans Ronald Reagan and George Bush.

Massachusetts may seem like the ultimate Democratic stronghold, but the single largest group of voters here are independents, who comprise half the state’s 4 million voters and can cast ballots in either party primary. Registered Democrats account for nearly 37 percent and Republicans make up 12 percent.

Romney and his wife, Ann, voted in their hometown of Belmont mid-afternoon then planned to relax and catch up on mail before watching returns at a Boston hotel.

“That’s pretty fun. First time I ever voted for myself for president,” said Romney, leaving town hall with a souvenir — a sample ballot.

Topsfield Republican Mary Jordan said she didn’t ultimately decide to vote for Romney until she entered the voting booth.

“I think he’s the least unlikeable. I really didn’t like any of them,” said Jordan, a 43-year-old teacher’s aide.

Preliminary exit poll results showed close to half of all Republican and Democratic voters said the economy was the most important challenge facing the nation. For Democratic voters, the war in Iraq placed a close second. For Republican voters, immigration placed second.

Monica Crowley, 40, said she couldn’t vote Democratic because she doesn’t like talk show host Oprah Winfrey, who supports Obama, and she opposed Clinton’s health care plan.

Ultimately, she reasoned that McCain, a staunch supporter of the Iraq war, would actually be most likely to end the conflict because his son, Jimmy, is serving in Iraq.

“I can’t believe after what he’s been through and having (a son) there that he will allow it to continue,” she said of McCain, who won the Massachusetts GOP primary eight years ago.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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RANDOLPH, Mass. — An elderly voter lost control of his car Tuesday and veered into a crowd of elementary school children, striking a second-grader who was standing outside of a school that being used as a polling place.

The girl, whose name was not released, was pinned to the building during the accident about 8:30 a.m. She was conscious when she was taken to a Boston hospital, said Leo Flanagan, principal of the Elizabeth G. Lyons Elementary School.

There was no immediate word on her condition.

Flanagan said the driver had voted and was trying to exit on a school rotary. But he lost control and drove through the rotary, forcing dozens of kids to scatter.

The name of the driver was not released. He also was being treated at a Boston hospital for undisclosed injuries.

Counselors rushed to the school to help the children cope with having seen the accident that hurt their classmate.

“She’s a beautiful, energetic, just super young kid, and hopefully whatever it is minor and her great spirit is going to get her through it,” Flanagan said.

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BOSTON — The nation’s rocky economy is top on the minds of voters heading to the polls this primary day in Massachusetts.

Preliminary exit poll results conducted for The Associated Press show close to half of all Republican and Democratic voters say the economy is the most important challenge facing the nation.

For Democratic voters, the war in Iraq places a close second with nearly four of ten calling it the top issue. Health care placed a distant third.

For Republican voters, immigration placed second with about one of four voters calling it the nation’s top issue. The war in Iraq and terrorism placed farther down the list.

Polls close across the state at 8 p.m.

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BOSTON — Former Gov. Mitt Romney looked to the loyalty of Massachusetts Republicans to carry him in his home state over surging Republican rival John McCain, while voters here had a tight race to settle between Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Cold rain and sleet covered much of the state early Tuesday but officials still expected a record number of people to vote in the primary in Massachusetts, one of more than 20 electing delegates on Super Tuesday.

Whitman Police Sgt. Harry Bates said there were about 40 people waiting in line there when the polls opened at 7 a.m.

“For a primary, this is unusual,” Bates said. “I think the competition on both sides — that’s enhanced the public interest in coming out for the primary.”

A steady stream of voters entered a heavily democratic precinct in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood. Outside, supporters of Senators Clinton and Obama held signs and shouted last-minute arguments.

Bob Poland, a 49-year-old travel agent, said he chose Clinton based on her experience.

“Obama seems like a nice guy, but I’m just worried he doesn’t have enough experience to be president,” said Poland, who also cited Clinton’s stance on health care and economic issues.

In Topsfield, Marcia Spector described her decision to vote for Obama over Clinton as a difficult one.

“I just feel that he is dynamic and he is for change. He doesn’t bring the baggage. I think he’s more electable actually,” said Spector, 58, an English as second language teacher.

Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin predicted a heavy turnout in both Democratic and Republican primaries, with more than 30 percent of the electorate showing up at the polls — a number he said could climb even higher.

Massachusetts may seem like the ultimate Democratic stronghold, but the single largest group of voters here — slightly more than half of the electorate — are not enrolled in any party.

Independent voters in the state, who can vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary, make up 50.3 percent of the state’s 4 million voters. Registered Democrats account for 36.8 percent and Republicans make up 12.1 percent. Smaller parties make up less than 1 percent.

Galvin said most independent voters would probably cast ballots in the Democratic race.

“I think they are more likely to break to the Democratic side, because most independent voters in Massachusetts have historically Democratic roots,” he said. “But I think there will be a healthy independent voters on the Republican side.”

Republican Mary Jordan said she didn’t ultimately decide to vote for Romney until she entered the voting booth.

“I think he’s the least unlikeable. I really didn’t like any of them,” said Jordan, a 43-year-old teacher’s aide from Topsfield.

Monica Crowley, 40, said she couldn’t vote Democrat because she doesn’t like talk show host Oprah Winfrey, who supports Obama, and she opposed Clinton’s health care plan.

Ultimately, she reasoned that McCain, a staunch supporter of the Iraq war, would actually be most likely to end the conflict because his son, Jimmy, is serving in Iraq.

“I can’t believe after what he’s been through and having (a son) there that he will allow it to continue,” she said.

In Randolph, an elderly man drove over a sidewalk and struck an 8-year-old girl outside an elementary school being used as a polling place. Authorities say the man lost control of his SUV and drove through a crowd of kids, ultimately pinning the girl against the brick building. The girl was taken to a Boston hospital and her condition was not immediately known. Officials said voting was not disrupted for the two precincts that use the building.

Polls across the state are open until 8 p.m.