Today, John Kerry was confirmed 94-3 to be our next Secretary of State. With his seat vacant, former Republican Senator Scott Brown could make for another run for the U.S. Senate. Brown was ousted by left-winger Elizabeth Warren last November, even though his approval ratings remained high. According to TPMLiveWire on January 25:
The latest survey from MassINC Polling Group showed Brown easily cruising in a hypothetical matchup against Markey. Fifty-three percent of registered Bay State voters said they would support Brown, compared with just 31 percent who indicated they would vote for Markey. But pitted against a generic Democrat, Brown was shown with only an 8-point edge.
The poll showed Brown continuing to enjoy sky-high popularity — as was the case throughout his brief stint in the Senate — with 55 percent of voters saying they have a favorable view of the Republican. Markey is a relative unknown throughout the state: 59 percent of voters surveyed offered no opinion of the longtime congressman.
Although the state and national Democratic establishment has coalesced behind Markey, 71 percent of would-be Democratic primary voters favor a contested primary — an encouraging sign for Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA), who will reportedly announce Friday that he’s challenging Markey for the party’s nomination in the special election.
If Brown still has his campaign infrastructure intact, he could mount a strong run to fill Kerry’s seat. He’s a natural campaigner, and his return to Washington would be a morale booster as Republicans prepare, yet again, to retake the U.S. Senate.
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