Somebody Else

Last month I speculated that if "somebody else" was still winning the polls for the Democratic gubernatorial primary, we would see another candidate jump in. Well, according to the Boston Globe, Congressman Mike Capuano may be that somebody else. This comes despite his claim in January that he wasn't interested. The Congressman has not been impressed with any of the candidates that have surfaced so far.

"Deval Patrick, I think, is still new," Capuano said. "I don't know whether he can do this or not; too early to tell. Billy Galvin -- is he running? I don't know."

Of Reilly, Capuano said, "I think it's important you have an opinion. That's why Democrats lose across the board. That was one of the problems with John Kerry when he ran. I think that's one of the attractions of George Bush. He appears to stand for certain things, and he does stand for certain things. I give him credit for that."

Capuano would instantly become the most formidable challenger to Attorney General Tom Reilly, the current frontrunner. He had $420k in the bank as of March, and spent nearly a million dollars last campaign cycle to scare away any challengers. The danger for him, of course, is that he and Patrick may split the progressive vote allowing Reilly or Galvin to win with a small plurality. Still, Capuano can credibly take the mantle of progressive Beacon Hill outsider with political experience, combining the most appealing traits of all three other candidates. If he enters the race, I expect him to get a lot of support rather quickly at the expense of Patrick and Reilly.

If Capuano does run for governor, expect a knock-down drag-out fight for his Congressional seat. Perhaps Jarrett Barrios will give up his quixotic quest for the Middlesex County DA.

Blue Mass Group has more.