Former Massachusetts senator launches bid for New Hampshire seat
In a move cheered by Republicans nationwide, former Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Scott Brown on Friday declared he’s running for the Senate again, saying he wants to “stop complaining and get involved again” by formally joining the race against Democratic U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.
Brown’s decision gives the GOP a top-tier contender who helps his party’s national push to claim the Senate majority — a shift that could fundamentally reshape the final two years of President Barack Obama’s presidency.
The longtime Massachusetts resident, who recently moved into his New Hampshire vacation home, formally launched an exploratory committee to enter the Senate race during a Republican conference in Nashua, ending months of speculation about his intentions.
Brown said his wife told him he should run for the U.S. Senate in New Hampshire if he really wants to make a difference.
“Honey, you are right,” he said. “I’m going to stop complaining and get involved again.”
While recent polls give Shaheen a solid lead in a prospective matchup, Brown’s near-universal name recognition in a Massachusetts border state and his national fundraising network makes him a serious contender on Day 1.
Brown rose to national prominence by winning the 2010 special election to replace the late Massachusetts Democratic U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy but he was defeated in his first re-election test by Democrat Elizabeth Warren in 2012.
Brown declined to enter a 2013 special U.S. Senate election in Massachusetts, citing the strains of running a third Senate campaign in less than four years and partisan gridlock in Washington.
“I’m tired of the blaming,” Brown said Friday as he entered the race. “I’m tired of the divisiveness.”
(story can end here)
Brown’s decision overshadowed appearances by other high-profile Republicans on the first day of the Northeast Republican Leadership Conference, which features prospective presidential candidates and other GOP leaders looking to court New Hampshire voters and put their stamps on party affairs.
Brown began aggressively seeking the support of New Hampshire elected officials and key GOP activists in recent weeks over the telephone. At the same time, his camp began seeking Republican operatives to fill senior staff positions on a prospective Senate campaign.
Democrats had scoffed at a prospective Brown candidacy, noting that he also was considering a 2016 presidential campaign. Brown canceled plans to visit Iowa next month and downplayed his White House aspirations on Friday.
National Democrats already have their hands full defending more vulnerable Democratic incumbents across the country as they fight to retain their six-seat Senate majority. With finite resources, they would rather not devote additional time or resources to a New Hampshire seat that was supposed to be safe.
