Newton Mayor Setti Warren (D) launched his campaign against Scott Brown today in a five-minute online video that attempts to take a strategic page from the popular Massachusetts Republican senator’s playbook.
Brown joins City Year co-founder Alan Khazei as the current top tier in the race with former lieutenant governor candidate Bob Massie also running.
On paper, Warren is an impressive — if little known — candidate. He’s an Iraq veteran with close ties to Gov. Deval Patrick and Sen. John Kerry for whom he served as deputy state director. Warren is also the first popularly elected African-American mayor in the state.
“Setti has a great story to tell; he matches up really well against Scott Brown just because of his life experience,” said Mark Putnam, Warren’s media consultant. “He wanted to announce online because that’s where the grassroots support is in Massachusetts.”
Not every Democrat in the Bay State is on the Warren bandwagon, however. Some think Warren, who was elected mayor — his first elected office — in 2009 is too much of a political neophyte to step up to a statewide race. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) has publicly said as much. Fellow Newton politicians have expressed similar misgivings about the timing.
“I'm probably about as well known as Scott Brown was at this point two years ago," Warren says in the video. He also tries to draw contrasts with Brown, most notably about talking about his experience in Iraq as contrasted to Brown’s time in the National Guard.
Brown is still doing very well in polls and ended March with more than $8 million in the bank.
“Scott Brown was elected to do a job, and his focus is on cutting spending and getting our economy moving again,” said Brown consultant Eric Fehrnstrom. “There will be plenty of time for campaigning later.”
Democrats argue that voters who didn’t turnout in Brown’s 2010 special election victory over state Attorney General Martha Coakley will turn out in droves in a presidential election year like 2012.
“When the voters learn more about Scott Brown and about Scott Brown’s record and they learn more about Setti Warren and what he believes and the positions he supports than I think you’re going to see a much closer race, and you’re going to see a decline in his numbers,” said Warren campaign manager Deborah Shah.
Warren’s candidacy is not expected to clear the Democratic field. Massachusetts is losing a seat in redistricting; if one or more House members ran against Brown, it would make legislators’ job easier.
Rep. Mike Capuano ran in the 2010 special election, finishing second to Coakley; Reps. Stephen Lynch and Ed Markey are also mentioned as potential candidates. Former Rep. Marty Meehan’s name also comes up in connection to the seat.
It’s unclear whether any member of the delegation will ultimately run — particularly with chatter that Kerry is in line to get a Cabinet job in President Obama’s second term, a move that if it happens would set off a special election.
Regardless of whether any of the House members run, Warren’s candidacy means that the Democratic race is headed toward a real primary next year.
“This is no longer a Senate race that will be won or lost in six weeks,” said Mary Anne Marsh, a former Kerry adviser, and a Boston-based consultant. “It’s going to be a tough 18 months for everyone.”
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