Meehan enriches war chest, eyeing possible Senate run
In a fund-raising spree this summer, US Representative Martin T. Meehan's increased his campaign war chest to $4 million for a potential special US Senate race next year -- vaulting far ahead of his nearest rivals.
According to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission late last week, Meehan raised $590,973 in the reporting period from July 1 to Aug. 25, twice the amount of his competitor, US Representative Edward J. Markey, the dean of the Massachusetts congressional delegation.
Markey, Democrat of Malden, received $253,000 in donations during the same period, raising the total in his political account to $2.1 million.
Meehan, a Lowell Democrat who was key in getting the recent sweeping campaign finance reform passed, declined to comment on his fund-raising.
Some critics have said Meehan's fund-raising is in sharp contrast to the spirit of the reforms, but his supporters say more than 80 percent of the donors are from Massachusetts. Unlike Markey and his other potential rivals in the delegation, Meehan does not take funds from special interest political action committees.
Markey and Meehan, along with US Representative Barney Frank, a Newton Democrat, said they plan to run for the Democratic nomination to fill US Senator John F. Kerry's seat, if Kerry is elected president. US Representative Stephen Lynch of South Boston has said he would consider entering the race.
Frank raised $162,325, according to the reports, and has $330,598 in his campaign account. Lynch collected $75,280, raising his total funds to $403,283.
Israel Klein, a political aide to Markey, expressed little concern that Meehan had pulled so far ahead in fund-raising and said Markey has spent much of his summer working for Kerry's candidacy.
The potential opening of a US Senate seat has set off a number of political figures and others to consider running in the Democratic primary.
They include former attorney general Scott Harshbarger; Niki Tsongas, widow of former US Senator Paul E. Tsongas, who held the seat for one term; former state treasurer Shannon O'Brien; and Middlesex District Attorney Martha Coakley.
Earlier this year, the Democratic-dominated Legislature created a new statute governing the filing of US Senate vacancies, stripping Governor Mitt Romney of any role. The new system calls for a special election to be held within 160 days after a vacancy is declared. For almost a century, the governor was empowered to appoint someone to fill a Senate vacancy.
