Kerry wrapped up his campaign by emphasizing his role in fighting Republican plans to cut entitlement programs that benefit Massachusetts voters.
"I think working people and middle-class people know that I am on their side, and when the tough votes are cast in the U.S. Senate, when health care is on the line, when education loans are on the line...people know that I'm in the trenches fighting for them," Kerry said at Bunker Hill Community College before heading onto West Roxbury.
Weld spokesperson Andy Antrobus was also confident. "We are very upbeat and that is largely from the top down...the candidate is feeling good, the momentum is swinging our way hour by hour, day by day."
Massachusetts Republican Party State Committee Executive Director William B. Vernon said he "took perverse pleasure in seeing that President Clinton felt the need to come to Massachusetts on the last weekend to campaign for Kerry."
Clinton appeared at a rally in downtown Springfield Sunday night on behalf of Kerry and other Democratic congressional candidates, two days after a Democratic rally with Vice President Al Gore '69 outside historic Faneuil Hall on Friday.
Weld wrapped up his 11-month campaign with a parade in Boston's North End attended by political ally New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani. He also aired a 30-minute television infomercial on a local Boston station.
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The Kerry-Weld race is one of 34 Senate races today. Fourteen of the contests are for open seats. Thirteen seats are held by Republicans, and seven are held by Democrats.
Democrats are hoping to pick up seats in Colorado, New Hampshire, Maine and North Carolina.
The GOP has targeted seats held by Kerry and Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.), along with seats vacated by retiring Sen. Sam Nunn (D-Ga.) and retiring Sen. Bill Bradley (D-N.J.).
Vigorous attacks on the Clinton administration's ethics have buoyed Republican's optimism for Senate gains.
"The polls have been moving towards the Republicans. I am more upbeat than I have been in a long time, because there are a lot of races that are close and are moving towards Republicans," Vernon said.
Handy disagreed, saying Republicans could be surprised tonight because of Democratic efforts to link both House and senate GOP candidates to Gingrich.
"I don't think [Gingrich] has helped the party," Handy said. "Any candidate who can be linked to him will be in trouble."
Kerry will vote this morning at the Statehouse and then campaign in Fall River and Springfield. Weld will cast his ballot at the New School of Music in Cambridge and then stump in Revere and Melrose.
--The Associated Press contributed to the reporting of this story.