Tisei looking at rematch in 2014, but not closing door on Mass. special

by Alexandra Jaffe - 01/28/13 9:36 PM ET

Republican Richard Tisei is strongly considering challenging Rep. John Tierney (D-Mass.) in 2014, but could jump into the upcoming Massachusetts special election to replace Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) if Scott Brown decides against a run.

“It’s definitely, at this point, an option that I’m looking seriously at,” Tisei told The Hill of a 2014 run for Massachusetts’ 6th District.

Tisei narrowly lost to Rep. John Tierney (D-Mass.) in 2012, and says that everywhere he goes — “the supermarket, my job in real estate, the gym” — supporters tell him they were disappointed with the outcome of the race.

{mosads}He said he had spoken with people at the National Republican Congressional Committee, and though he has not yet made up his mind about a run, “if I decide to go again, I know I’ll have the financial support again and I know I’d have the organizational support I need.”

Tisei has, since the election, returned to his real estate business. But he could be running again earlier than that — if Scott Brown, the likeliest Republican contender for Kerry’s seat and, many Massachusetts Republicans agree, the most competitive, declines to run.

“I’d think about it if it came up, if there was a path to win,” Tisei said of a potential Senate run.

Brown has not yet decided on whether he’ll jump into the likely Massachusetts special after Kerry is confirmed as secretary of State, as is expected, or if he’ll take a break from politics and choose instead to run for governor in 2014.

If he declines to run, that would leave a shallow bench of potential GOP contenders, none of whom would have the resources or organization that Brown has readily available. Tisei said that he hadn’t put much thought into a Senate run because he felt he was the least likely of the handful of other Republicans who could engage in the race to launch a bid.

More likely than Tisei to run is former Gov. Bill Weld, but the Boston Globe reports that sources close to Weld say he’s not interested.

Former Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, another potential contender, also did not rule out a bid when speaking to the Globe. And former Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker could also run, though he lost during his 2010 run to Gov. Deval Patrick.

Brown’s decision not to run could turn a race that Republicans currently believe to be competitive into an easy win for Democrats, as their top recruit, Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), has already launched his bid and racked up numerous high-profile endorsements in the state.

Tags Edward Markey John Kerry