▁politics . ▁No ▁Republican ▁had ▁been ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Senate ▁from ▁Massachusetts ▁since ▁Edward ▁Bro oke ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 . ▁He ▁pol led ▁far ▁behind ▁Co ak ley ▁for ▁several ▁months , ▁but ▁closed ▁the ▁gap ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁weeks ▁of ▁January . ▁ ▁One ▁week ▁before ▁the ▁January ▁special ▁election , ▁a ▁controvers y ▁arose ▁over ▁a ▁Co ak ley ▁approved ▁television ▁ad . ▁ ▁The ▁ad ▁referenced ▁the ▁cons cient ious ▁object or ▁am end ment ▁Brown ▁had ▁spons ored ▁for ▁inclusion ▁in ▁a ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁proposed ▁state ▁measure ▁on ▁patients ' ▁rights . ▁ ▁This ▁am end ment ▁would ▁have ▁allowed ▁individual ▁health care ▁workers ▁and ▁hosp it als ▁to ▁refuse ▁to ▁provide ▁emer gency ▁contra cept ive ▁care ▁( the ▁morning - after ▁pill ) ▁to ▁ra pe ▁vict ims ▁if ▁they ▁object ed ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁religious ▁belief . ▁After ▁the ▁am end ment ▁failed , ▁Brown ▁did ▁vote ▁for ▁the ▁main ▁bill ▁which , ▁along ▁with ▁other ▁patient ▁rights , ▁requires ▁health care ▁workers ▁and ▁hosp it als ▁to ▁provide ▁such ▁care . ▁Co ak ley ' s ▁ad ▁featured ▁a ▁male ▁voice ▁that ▁said , ▁" B rown ▁even ▁fav ors ▁letting ▁hosp it als ▁den y ▁emer gency ▁contra ception ▁to ▁ra pe ▁vict ims ," ▁over ▁the ▁ad ' s ▁graph ic ▁which ▁had ▁the ▁words , ▁" D eny ▁care ▁to ▁ra pe ▁vict ims ." ▁Brown ' s ▁daughter ▁Ay la ▁called