U.S. Rep. Ed Markey is favored to win the special Massachusetts senate election later this year, according to some recent polls, possibly opening his state congressional seat.
In reaction to Markey’s senatorial candidacy, local politicians have announced bids to fill Markey’s current seat.
Three local politicians have filed papers with the Federal Election Commission for candidacy in the race for Markey’s seat in the fifth congressional district of Massachusetts.
Mass. Sen. William Brownsberger, a Democrat from Belmont, Mass. Sen. Katherine Clark, a Democrat from Melrose and Mass. Rep. Carl Sciortino from Medford are each hoping to make the jump from state to national politics by becoming a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
“It’s a great opportunity to carry the priorities I have been working on up to the national level,” Brownsberger said.
Brownsberger represents the Second Suffolk and Middlesex district. He assumed office in January 2012 and was a member of the Mass. House of Representatives from 2007 to 2012, according to Brownsberger’s website.
Brownsberger said he feels passionate about issues such as human rights, women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, climate change, education reform and fiscal responsibility.
“I will be a candidate who refuses to accept special interest money in the campaign,” he said. “If you look at the quality of work I have been doing — the commitment to dealing in a very honest and independent way with each of the issues that we face.”
Clark has been a member of the Massachusetts Senate since 2011. Prior to her senatorial stint, she served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 2008 to 2011.
Clark is the Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary for the current legislative session. She was appointed to this position Jan. 31.
Clark announced her run earlier in February in an email to her supporters.
“I am running for Congress,” she said in the email. “I want to put my experience to work for the people of the fifth congressional district. Throughout my career, I have stood up for the families of Massachusetts. I will bring that leadership to Congress.“
Sciortino Jr. has been a member of the Mass. House of Representatives since 2005, representing the 34th Middlesex District.
“I am running to continue the strong progressive leadership that the families of the fifth district have always counted on,” Sciortino said in a statement. “I look forward to bringing my record of accomplishment to Washington to fight for our progressive values.”
To run in the special election, Markey must defeat U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch in the upcoming primary.
“I am proud to call Ed Markey my Congressman, and I am dedicated to helping elect him as our next U.S. Senator,” Sciortino said.
Brownsberger said he has full support for Markey and that he is doing everything he can to assure that he wins the senate seat.
Both party primaries will occur April 30, and the general election will be held June 25.
This is an account occasionally used by the Daily Free Press editors to post archived posts from previous iterations of the site or otherwise for special circumstance publications. See authorship info on the byline at the top of the page.
