In a victory for the GOP, Massachusetts State Sen. Scott Brownbeat CUNA-backed Democratic nominee Attorney General Martha Coakleyin yesterday's special election for the seat held for almost 47years by U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, who died last August.

CUNA's political action committee, the Credit Union LegislativeAction Council, contributed $5,000 to the general election campaignof Democratic nominee Coakley. CULAC had originally backed U.S.Rep. Michael Capuano, a member of the House Financial ServicesCommittee, who finished a distant second in the Democraticprimary.

CUNA hasn't said if CULAC plans to contribute to Brown'scampaign fund but it has a history of giving money to candidateswho won elections, even after it supported the candidate wholost.

The 52%-47% victory of Brown, who had trailed Coakley by doubledigits in some polls, deprives Democrats of their 60^thvote in the Senate, which they have used to break GOP filibusterson several issues, including health care reform.

Brown is the first Republican U.S. Senator from Massachusettssince Edward Brooke was defeated in 1978. However, despite the BayState's reputation as a Democratic stronghold, the GOP has held thegovernor's office for all but three years since 1991.