Tagg Romney won't seek Kerry's Senate seat
No, there will not be a Senator Romney anytime soon.
Looking to quiet chatter that he's considering running in the special election to fill newly-minted Secretary of State John Kerry's Massachusetts Senate seat, Mitt Romney's eldest son Tagg issued a statement today breaking the news to supporters: "The timing is not right."
"I have been humbled by the outreach I received this weekend encouraging me to become a candidate for the U.S. Senate," he said. "I love my home state and admit it would be an honor to represent the citizens of our great Commonwealth. However, I am currently committed to my business and to spending as much time as I can with my wife and children.
"The timing is not right for me," the statement continued, "but I am hopeful that the people of Massachusetts will select someone of integrity, vision, and compassion as our next U.S. Senator."
Longtime Reps. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., are the only candidates to have formally declared bids. So far, all high-profile Republican prospects to take on the two veteran Democrats have petered out.
Since would-be GOP frontrunner, former Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., announced last week he would not seek the seat, former Gov. Bill Weld, R-Mass., and former state Senate minority leader Richard Tisei, R-Mass., also removed their names from consideration. State Rep. Daniel Winslow, R-Mass., has said he will make a decision by Tuesday.
The Democratic and Republican primaries are scheduled for April 30 and the winners will face off in a special election on June 25 for the right to serve out the remainder of Kerry's term, which ends in January 2015. Gov. Deval Patrick, D-Mass., last week named his chief of staff, William "Mo" Cowan, to hold the seat temporarily until the June 25 special election.
