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Khazei seeking 2012 Democratic Senate nomination

Print | Comments () Posted by Andrew Ryan, Globe Metro Desk April 26, 2011 12:30 PM

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By Noah Bierman, Globe Staff

Alan Khazei today officially declared he is running for the Democratic nomination for the seat currently held by Republican US Senator Scott Brown.

Alan Khazei

On his website, through Twitter and Facebook, the co-founder of City Year sent out the same message.

"It's official,'' he wrote. “I’m in.''

A two-and-a-half minute announcement video posted on his website offered a more detailed look at his campaign themes.

“As I’ve traveled across our state, I’ve heard from many people who are concerned that opportunity is drying up, that the American dream is in trouble and the system is failing too many Americans,” Khazei says in the video. “It’s stacked in favor of powerful special interests and designed for a time long gone by.”

The video mixes Khazei talking straight into the camera, with still images of American flags and Khazei with factory workers and children. His description of a better future through innovation is illustrated with shots of the Zakim Bridge and wind turbines.

Last week, Khazei said he was still mulling the idea of taking on Brown, who was elected to succeed one of Khazei's long-time mentors, the late Edward M. Kennedy, in a 2010 special election.

In 2009, Khazei ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for that seat, finishing in third place with 13 percent of the vote, just ahead of Boston Celtics co-owner Stephen G. Pagliuca. Attorney General Martha Coakley won the Democratic nomination and was famously defeated by Brown, in a special election that drew considerable national attention.

Democrats have had trouble so far luring a candidate with significant name recognition to challenge Brown in 2012. Khazei is the third member of his party to officially enter the race, following Bob Massie, a former lieutenant governor nominee, and Marisa DeFranco, a Salem immigration lawyer.

Other Democrats said to be considering a run include US Representative Michael E. Capuano, a Somerville Democrat who was second to Coakley in the Democratic primary and Representative Stephen Lynch of South Boston.

One current member of the delegation, Representative Richard Neal, branded Brown hard to beat during a weekend appearance on WCVB-TV's "On the Record."

"One of the things that I think that Senator Brown is doing at the moment is he’s shedding the image of being a real hard-line conservative and he is paying great attention, as is Barack Obama, to the role that the suburban independent voter plays now in the outcome of elections," said Neal.

Noah Bierman can be reached at nbierman@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @nbierman.