Robinson received 14 percent of the vote, while Libertarian candidate Carla Howell received 13 percent.

"The best way that I can thank you and all of the millions of Massachusetts people who voted for me is to be the best United States senator, and that I pledge to be," Kennedy told the cheering crowd last night.

Maxwell Taylor Kennedy, Edward Kennedy's nephew and campaign manager, served as the master of ceremonies for a parade of speakers that included some of the state's most prominent political leaders, including Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino and Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.).

Maxwell Kennedy joked that he was "throwing caution to the wind" in predicting a victory for his uncle, whom he lauded as "the man who I admire more than any other living human being [and] the greatest senator in the history of the world."

Menino praised Kennedy's commitment to the people of the state, especially those in the working class.

"He's been a tireless worker for all of us," Menino said. "On health care, housing, all those issues that affect people's lives."

Kerry, who often works closely with Kennedy, spoke of his colleague's fearlessness and tenacity in the Senate.