Sen. John Kerry is on track to become the next secretary of state. Already, Massachusetts Democrats are scrambling for a candidate to fill the Senate vacancy he would leave behind. Conventional wisdom holds that, in a deep blue state, the eventual Democratic nominee is a shoo-in to win a special election. Not so fast.
An open seat would give defeated Republican Sen. Scott Brown another chance to return to Capitol Hill. In November, he lost to Sen.-elect Elizabeth Warren in one of the nation’s highest-profile Senate races. Mrs. Warren, a Harvard law professor, benefited from the state’s powerful Democratic machine. She rode President Obama’s electoral coattails, dashing Mr. Brown’s hopes at winning re-election.
The Massachusetts Republican stunned the political establishment in 2010. Mr. Brown rose to national prominence after defeating Democrat Martha Coakley in a special election triggered by the death of long-time liberal Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. Portraying himself as a moderate GOP populist, Mr. Brown managed to achieve a near-impossible feat: He broke theDemocratic Party’s stranglehold on the Bay State. For this he won national notoriety, which also painted a huge target on his back.
Political lightning could strike twice. Should Mr. Brown decide to seek the GOP nomination (and indications are he’s interested), he would likely run unopposed. The reason is simple: Mr. Brown is still widely popular and well known. Even many Warren supporters told exit pollsters they had a favorable impression of the GOP moderate. Mr. Brown’s brand of fiscal conservatism and social liberalism, along with his folksy campaigning style, has endeared him to many Massachusetts voters. His greatest weapon, however, could be his opposition.
Read more: http://p.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/dec/26/another-massachusetts-miracle/#ixzz2GAlASXtG
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