Setti Warren, Alan Khazei, Robert Massie, Thomas Conroy, Marisa DeFranco and Herb Robinson all spoke this weekend.
Senatorial hopefuls, from left, Herb Robinson, of Newton, Mass., Newton, Mass. Mayor Setti Warren, State Rep. Tom Conroy of Wayland Mass., Bob Massie of Somerville Mass., Marisa DeFranco of Salem, Mass., and City Year co-founder Alan Khazei gather for photographers during the Democratic Convention, Saturday, June 4, 2011, at the Tsongas Arena in Lowell, Mass. The state convention included addresses by the six hopefuls seeking the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Scott Brown. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)The biggest name at Massachusetts Democrats' annual state convention this weekend was a Republican's: Scott Brown.
Brown's January 2010 election to the Senate seat formerly held by Ted Kennedy still stings for state Democrats. This weekend, the crowded field of Democratic hopefuls grew even larger, though there is still little consensus on which of the candidates can beat Brown. A recent poll found 52 percent of registered voters say the junior senator deserves to be re-elected.
"You didn't know Deval Patrick. You didn't know Scott Brown. You didn't know Suzanne Bump. When they come and hear these six candidates they'll come away with a few, and it won't be the same for everybody, saying I want to hear more," party Chairman John Walsh told reporters at the convention, according to the State House News Service. "We have a lot of talent and it's going to be on display today."
Brown, for his part, was no where near Lowell, where the convention was held. A spokesman told The Boston Herald he was in Western Mass. helping out with tornado recovery efforts.
Here's a quick survey of the six declared candidates, followed by some other possible contenders:
• State Rep. Thomas Conroy, a third-term Democrat from Wayland, who announced his candidacy just last week. Before beating a Republican incumbent and winning his seat in 2006, Conroy worked in the private sector as a risk management consultant.
• Marisa DeFranco, an immigration attorney. DeFranco has run her practice out of Salem for 14 years and told state Democrats that conservatives were engaged in a "war" against the middle class.
• Alan Khazei, who finished behind Attorney General Martha Coakley and U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano in the 2009 Senate primary, is best known as the co-founder of City Year, an organization that places young people in full-time community service positions 10 months at a time. An early campaign stop brought Khazei out to Western New England College back in April.
• Robert Massie, who ran for lieutenant governor in 1994. Massie is best known as an activist and environmentalist, and has come out against the proposal to build a biomass plant in Springfield.
• Herb Robinson, a political newcomer who declared just in time to secure a slot at the convention. Robinson's website describes him as an "Engineer with more than 30 years experience solving problems in private industry" and expresses concern about nuclear energy.
• Setti Warren, the mayor of Newton, who made an early swing through Western Mass. when he announced his candidacy in May. Warren is a former aide to Sen. John Kerry and President Bill Clinton.
With six candidates already declared, the field could grow ever-larger ahead of the primary. Officials told the State House News Service that Jim King, a Boston-based attorney, will make announcement about his intentions in the next few days. Former state Sen. Warren Tolman, financial executive Robert Pozen and U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano, all named as potential candidates themselves, were seen making the rounds at the convention.
Material from The Associated Press and the State House News Service was used in this post.