Khazei’s Senate campaign raised $365,000 in quarter
Elizabeth Warren’s emergence as the front-runner in the Democratic US Senate campaign elbowed a second candidate out of the race yesterday and elicited a pledge from a third, Alan Khazei, that he is in it for the “long haul.’’
Spokesman Scott Ferson said the Khazei campaign has raised $365,000 in the quarter ended Sept. 30, despite the passing of his mother, which forced Khazei to leave the trail for several weeks. Ferson said the campaign would report $750,000 in cash available.
“Candidates are reassessing, based on the inability to raise money,’’ Ferson said. “We don’t have that problem. Alan is in this for the long haul.’’
Mayor Setti Warren of Newton dropped out last week, and Bob Massie, a Somerville activist, announced yesterday that he too was dropping out. Both cited Warren’s entry into the race as an obstacle they could not overcome.
“The attention given to the many qualities of Elizabeth Warren have fundamentally changed how all the candidates operate in this race, and it had particular consequences for me,’’ Massie said.
Khazei, cofounder of a national service program, has been viewed as the candidate most likely to claim the nomination to take on Republican Scott Brown if Warren falters.
Warren’s entry into the race last month has excited the Democratic establishment, creating a difficult fund-raising environment for others competing for the nomination.
She has not revealed her fund-raising totals for the quarter. Those numbers are due later this month.
Through two quarters, Khazei has raised $1.3 million, his campaign said. Although his recent numbers represent a large drop-off from his first quarter, they show he will probably have enough money to remain a viable candidate.
Massie said he had raised about $51,000 and has about $60,000 left, which he said could have sustained him for another two or three months.
“It became a choice of, do you keep going for a couple of months, or do you stop early in the face of reality?’’ he said.
Massie said no one asked him to withdraw. He held his final campaign event Thursday night, which he said turned into a celebration of his nine-month effort to win the nomination.
Massie, a and 1994 candidate for lieutenant governor, said he will take a few weeks off before deciding whom to endorse and then will work to help defeat Brown.
“I’ve been engaged in social change and politics of different kinds since I was a university student,’’ he said. “This was a very enjoyable and important way to do it, but it’s not like my life direction is going to change.’’
Five others remain in the race: Warren; Khazei; Thomas Conroy, a Wayland representative; Marisa DeFranco, a North Shore immigration lawyer; and Herb Robinson, a Newton software engineer.
Brown seeks a full six-year term in November 2012. The primaries are in September 2012.
Noah Bierman can be reached at nbierman@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahbierman. 
