Winslow To Declare Intentions for Senate Race

In what indicates his possible interest in entering the special election to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Secretary of State John F. Kerry, Massachusetts State Representative Daniel B. Winslow has announced that he will issue a press release “regarding his plans for the U.S. Senate special election” and hold a press conference Tuesday.

Before the press release was announced, Republican sources told The Crimson that Winslow, a Republican from Norfolk and a former advisor to then-Governor Mitt Romney, would likely enter the race.

Winslow said Friday that he would take the weekend to make a decision about running.

Winslow announced his upcoming press release in a post on Twitter Monday, writing “Can we fix America and break the gridlock?” He also included in his tweet the hashtag “#masen.”

As of Monday no other Republicans have announced their candidacy for the race. Former U.S. Navy Seal Gabriel E. Gomez, who has been identified by multiple sources as a potential candidate, has indicated a possible interest in entering.

Former Mass. Senator Scott P. Brown, former Governor William F. Weld ’66, and other Republicans well-known in the state have said they will not run.

Winslow, a former district court judge, left the bench in 2002 to advise Romney and, more recently, Brown. Winslow has served as Norfolk’s representative in the Massachusetts House of Representative since 2011.

Though Winslow may not have the statewide name recognition of some, politically-connected Republicans told The Crimson Monday that they were optimistic about his chances.

“Dan Winslow is a leader that I would be excited about,” said former Republican congressional candidate Joseph A. Selvaggi. “He is smart, honest, and tells it like it is. I think people admire him as a principled person.”

Todd Domke, a Republican media analyst, called Winslow “formidable, successful, and articulate.”

Both the Democratic and Republican primaries will be held on April 30. The winner of the Republican primary will likely face either Representative Stephen F. Lynch or Representative Edward J. Markey, who is currently leads in Democratic primary polls.

Domke, who was also complimentary of Gomez, said that a Winslow-Gomez primary could be beneficial to the Massachusetts Republican party, presenting an opportunity for the party to remake its image after Brown, Romney, and numerous other Republicans nation-wide lost their races during the 2012 elections.

“If the party is going to rebuild and revive itself then this primary contest could be the beginning,” said Domke.

—Staff writer Matthew Q. Clarida can be reached at clarida@college.harvard.edu. Follow him on Twitter @MattClarida.