Former Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II, the eldest son of Robert F. Kennedy, announced Monday he would not run for the U.S. Senate seat held for nearly 50 years by his late uncle, Edward M. Kennedy. …
The decision is expected to widen the field of announced candidates for Kennedy’s seat. It became vacant Aug. 25, when the senator died of brain cancer at age 77.
Three veteran Massachusetts congressmen – Reps. Michael Capuano, Edward J. Markey and John Tierney – have said they are considering campaigns but would not run against a member of the Kennedy family. The senator’s widow, Vicki, had previously ruled out a campaign.
Now the floodgates will likely open. I just hope Marty Meehan decides to stay put. On the other side of the aisle, former Lt. Gov. and 2006 Republican gubernatorial nominee Kerry Healey has also said she won’t run.
(More from safi in the diaries.)
Read alot about the Kennedy’s over the years. He really didn’t seem to enjoy being congressman all that much. He left a pretty safe congressional seat in 1998 and he’s passed up numerous other opportunities to run over the years. I’m taking this means that It will probably be a much more crowded primary field.
Lynch is too conservative; Meehan’s an ass; I’m skeptical about Coakley based on some of the posts here; and Capuano, Markey, and Tierney seem fine (if not particularly exciting), but they’re all kind of old to be starting a Senate career. In a blue state like Mass, it seems more worthwhile to have someone in there a long time to build seniority like Teddy.
I wonder if Joseph Kennedy would accept the appointment as the interim Senator?
January 19th; that’s such a long time to have an empty Dem seat, especially with so many important votes coming up this fall.
I doubt they will even endorse in the primary since Joe and Vicki are not running.
That being said, none of the other candidates are particuarly exciting. Coakley will be running a Hillary-type campaign, i.e. experience and old boys’ network pity (gag). Lynch is a good fit for his district but he won’t go over well in the rest of the state. His Iraq War vote is a nonstarter and turns me off even more than his social conservatism. McGovern is impressive if a bit bland.
Who is the most progressive House member that is likely to run?
I was rooting for him.
Well, it’s Massachusetts. We should be able to pull another great Senator out, even if Coakley, Meehan, and Lynch are all unimpressive.
Good luck Bay State.
Who do you think Frank, Patrick, etc. would endorse and how significant would that be?
John Tierney would make a great progressive Senator. He’s an unapologetic liberal, a strong advocate for the state, and effective at getting his message across in person or on tv.
Towleroad.com is reporting that in Frank’s new memoir, he wants to be Secretary of HUD at some point. He wants to spend some time in the House, get some shit done with his position there and with a solidly Democratic Senate, and then get to have an end to his career by being the first openly GLBT member of the Cabinet. Granted, the Cabinet position would need to open up and Obama would have to pick him. Come 2nd term, I cant help but feel Obama will be going a bit more balls to the wall in his decisions (if he gets a 2nd term.)
http://www.towleroad.com/2009/… (too lazy to do the html but here’s my citation)