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Outside spending in special election tops $2.2M

BOSTON (AP) - Spending by outside groups in Massachusetts' special U.S. Senate election has topped $2.2 million in the final weekend before the primary.

By far the largest amount spent so far - nearly 84 percent - is supporting Democrat Edward Markey.

The rest is split between fellow Democratic congressman Stephen Lynch and two of the three Republican candidates - Cohasset businessman Gabriel Gomez and former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan.

An Associated Press review of campaign finance records found that the League of Conservation Voters which has spent nearly $831,000 to back Markey, the most of any group.

NextGen Committee, which opposes the Keystone XL pipeline, also hopes to defeat Lynch and has spent more than $547,000.

The top group supporting Lynch is the International Association of Firefighters, which spent nearly $106,000.

The primary is Tuesday.