Scott Brown not running for Senate

Scott Brown.

Updated: 2:17 p.m. ET

Former Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., will not seek the senate seat being vacated by former Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., he announced this afternoon.

Brown, who was voted into the Senate in a special election in 2010 following the death of longtime Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy, recently lost his re-election bid to Elizabeth Warren in a brutal, costly campaign.

In a statement this afternoon, he said that while "representing Massachusetts in the United States Senate was the greatest privilege of my life," he was not "at all certain that a third Senate campaign in less than four years, and the prospect of returning to a Congress even more partisan than the one I left, was really the best way for me to continue in public service at this time."

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"I know it's not the only way for me to advance the ideals and causes that matter most to me," he said. "That is why I am announcing today that I will not be a candidate for the United States Senate in the upcoming special election."

There was much speculation as to whether Brown would seek Kerry's seat in light of his recent confirmation as Hillary Clinton's successor as Secretary of State.

With Brown opting out of a run, there are few Republicans in Massachusetts with statewide recognition who could make a serious play for Kerry's seat. The Hill newspaper has reported that former state senate minority leader Richard Tisei, who narrowly lost a House bid in November, may be interested in running for the Republican nomination.

In a statement, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) said it was time to "move forward" now that Brown had opted out of the race.

"This was no doubt a tough personal decision for Senator Brown and his family, who understandably need to recharge after several long, hard-fought campaigns," said Rob Collins, executive director of the NRSC. "Now that he has made a decision, it's time to move forward."

Democratic Reps. Ed Markey and Stephen Lynch have both announced candidacies and will face off in the April 30 primary. The special election itself has been set for June 25.

[antoniof123]

Wow, most of you are fighting a losing battle we are Americans not Democrates or Republicans.

[SlimeBagObama]

That Liberal cesspool is doomed to the mental illness of Liberalism. No one in their right mind would want to run for office there. Who would want to be associated with a seat once held by a murderer like Kennedy.

[nearl451]

The word on the street on MA is that Scott is eying the Governor's chair as a more favorable opportunity.

Massachusetts has been far more open to Republican Governors than Senators.

[stevehamilton858]

There is an unusual combination of politicians that just might be able to save the Republican Party: the group includes Jeb Bush, Governor Christie,Scott Brown, and Bobbie Jindal, people in authority who are not afraid to say, "the emperor has no clothes". If you're religious at all, say a couple of prayers for these guys; they may need divine intervention.

America will do better over the balance of this century, if it has a truly conservative party, to offset the momentum that the liberals are building. Boehner recently stated that the president is out to annihilate the Republican Party; well the Republicans are making his job a lot easier, on their present disastrous path.

[vissionquest]

The republican's trashed the reputation of Rice just to poison her chances of becoming secretary of state. They did this for one reason only --they knew that Obama would go to the next person on his list, Kerry. With Kerry now taking the job the republicans thought they could get Brown elected even after he was defeated. The amount of money that the republicans are ready to throw at any republican candidate in Mass is insulting to the citizens of Massachusetts. To have a political party agree to destroy the career of a dedicated women just to influence the politics in Ma. shows you the morality of the party.

[tvwatcher5345]

he got scalped in his last run and he is still recovering

[usunus]

Astonished by his own success or rather disoriented by it,Brown tried to be a cross between a Republican and a Democrat.Now,he is neither because the voters too are as confused about him.

[TimeToEvolve]

Brown knows that if he runs again and loses he can kiss his entire political career away. Plus the Republicon brand is so toxic in America and throughout the world. They are on their way to the trash heap of history because they have been completely corrupted by Wall Street money. They don't even try to hide it anymore.

[sepa2]

sure he must have watched the McCarthys confronting Hagel

[stevehamilton858]

Very good point. The GOP has allowed itself to be seen as the protectors of, and panderers to, the top 2%, at everyone else's expense. Well, it's a mighty long road from 2% to 51% Brown is smart to sit it out for awhile and let the dopes who got the Republican Party into this mess try to figure out how to prevent the party from becoming irrelevant; they only have about 6 months.

[TimeToRetire]

Football fans now know the truth about New England. The Patriots cheated all those years with illegal sideline spy cameras. Those trophies you got? You didn't build that.

[TimeToRetire]

Anyone who watches football. The league penalized the Patriots the following season, only after the team had squeaked out three Super Bowls by an average margin of 3 points. Don't you think the illegal sideline cameras gave them that tiny edge?

[TimeToEvolve]

Free enterprise at work. The American system of business: Cheat to Win.

[paulteague89]

There is no room in the Republican party for a moderate. Brown was one of the reasonable ones - there is no place for him. All the sane, reasonable conservatives have announced their "retirement."

[TimeToRetire]

Hmmm, MA is the state that voted Brown out of the Senate and replaced him with a radical lefty. What does that say about that state when it comes to embracing "reasonable moderates"?

[TimeToRetire]

When you invented the words "You didn't build that", you are a radical, anti-free enterprise lefty. The phrase was so attractive to you lefties, even Obama copied it.