Massachusetts’ first overtly homosexual governor. Boston’s first Asian American mayor. The first Black lady AG.
In a season of variety and historic firsts, isn’t it about time for not less than one of many state’s two U.S. Senate seats to be occupied by an individual of coloration?
The particular person blocking that now could be the incumbent, Elizabeth Warren.
The Massachusetts Democrat, who couldn’t even win her own residence state within the presidential major, is now assuring everybody she’s working for a 3rd Senate time period in 2024 — regardless of reviews that she’s nonetheless eyeing the White House. In a softball interview on public TV, she mentioned she’ll make her formal re-election announcement “sometime soon.”
But the query looms over her candidacy: why ought to Massachusetts proceed to be represented within the Senate by a wealthy, white lady who as soon as tried to move herself off as a minority?
Massachusetts voters is perhaps asking themselves the identical query. The final elected Black senator in Massachusetts was Republican Ed Brooke, however that was within the 1970’s.
The greatest menace to Warren is just not from a Republican problem, however a Democratic one. Warren can be weak towards a preferred Democratic candidate, particularly one in all coloration. And she didn’t endear herself to the minority group by endorsing Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s white opponent, Shannon Liss-Riordan, within the 2022 major.
While Campbell, who simply began her first time period, can be an unlikely Senate candidate, there are different Democrats who can be formidable opponents.
Michelle Wu was elected two years in the past as the primary non-white male mayor in Boston’s historical past, and she or he has solely elevated her stature in state politics since then. Wu could possibly be eyeing the U.S. Senate seat if she ever decides that she doesn’t need protesters hounding her Roslindale home and City Hall workplace day-after-day.
Wu would possibly even be favored in a matchup towards Warren.
Then there’s Deval Patrick, the state’s first Black governor, who has since stayed lively in politics, working for president final time round.
Patrick was elected to 2 phrases as governor, and has lately been again within the public eye on the unveiling of the Embrace statue on Boston Common. And we all know he’s bold by his failed White House bid. He’d have a significantly better probability at a Senate seat.
The most probably highly effective candidate for U.S. Senate is U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, who ousted a veteran white Democratic incumbent in a major to win her congressional seat.
Pressley may not wish to problem Warren the identical manner she disposed of Rep. Michael Capuano but when Warren runs for president once more or reveals weak spot Pressley can be a transparent favourite to maneuver as much as the Senate.
Other potential Senate candidates are Tanisha Sullivan, head of the Boston NAACP who ran for Secretary of State final yr; Michael Curry, the extremely revered former NAACP head, and U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins. All of them would pose a transparent menace to Warren.
Warren can be good to observe her again and neglect about her presidential ambitions and focus on protecting her seat. She was weakened together with her disastrous exhibiting on Super Tuesday, the place didn’t end second in any major. Massachusetts was the one state the place she received greater than 20% of the vote however Joe Biden nonetheless clobbered her with out even campaigning right here.
Voters despatched her a transparent message, one she ought to heed if she needs to maintain her job.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”