Is Dan Winslow the Next Scott Brown?

[DonViejo]

J.K. TROTTER 309 Views10:58 AM ET

In a statement issued Tuesday morning, Dan Winslow, a 54-year-old Massachusetts lawyer and State Representative with strong conservative credentials, announced that he is forming an "exploratory committee" that could precede a run for Secretary of State John Kerry's vacant Senate seat in a June special election. Winslow is the first Republican to seriously consider a run, even if he isn't a household name — his announcement follows statements from former Senator Scott Brown, businessman/Romney Tagg Romney, former Governor Bill Weld, and former Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey that they would not enter the race. Dan Winslow, it appears, is the GOP's great hope to come out of nowhere and steal a spot in the Senate, much like Brown did in 2010.

Winslow is most notable for serving as former Governor Mitt Romney's Chief Legal Counsel between 2002 and 2005, when Romney faced the challenge of implementing state-recognized gay marriage. Romney disagreed with gay marriage (at the time), so he dispatched Winslow to placate conservatives. Indeed, according to a 2011 profile published in Commonwealth Magazine, Winslow became Romney's point man to his conservative supporters, who wanted Romney to refuse marriage licenses to gay couples.

The moves Winslow made publicly, in Romney’s name, drew praise from gay advocates, and stinging criticism from the right. Winslow appeared at a state convention of justices of the peace, and told them they could not refuse to perform same-sex marriages. He also traveled the state, training municipal clerks on the administration of same-sex marriages.

In the same profile Winslow described himself as "socially tolerant and fiscally prudent" — which places him politically somewhere (but not substantially) to the right of Scott Brown, who backed away from challenging the Massachusetts law on gay marriage and voted against the GOP's 2011 budget for its impact on Medicare funding. And right now, with Edward Markey and Stephen Lynch firmly entrenched on the Democratic side, a legit conservative might be exactly what Massachusetts Republicans need to pull off an upset — even if he isn't exactly a superstar. Winslow needs 10,000 signatures by February 28 (four weeks after Kerry was sworn in) to make it on the special-election ballot.

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http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/02/dan-winslow-massacusetts-senate/61804/

[Mass]

1. Who is J.K. Trotter and why is he/she touting GOPers like that?

(Not the first time he/she does that).

Winslow should not be dismissed, but Brown only won because Democrats let him win. And Winslow is close to Romney, which may not exactly help him in MA.

BTW, there will be a primary on the GOP side as well, most likely.

[Arkana]

2. No, because Ed Markey isn't the next Martha Coakley.

She allowed Scott Brown to become relevant through her overconfidence and laziness.

[grantcart]

6. +1

[TroyD]

3. Winslow has only been in the MA state senate for 2 years

Most people have never heard of him, he has virtually no political experience, and I assume Ed Markey won't let him get away with what Martha Coakley did with Scott Brown.

[ShadowLiberal]

4. Lack of political experience may be a plus for republicans here

At this point republicans only real shot of winning is to take a gamble on an unknown candidate with little experience or record.

Some unknown people like that do fail quite badly on the campaign trial.

But others prove to be a much stronger candidate then expected, and difficult for their opponent to attack from lack of a record. That's part of what Brown's people said frustrated them about facing Warren the most, her lack of a political record & votes in a legislature to attack.

[AverageMe]

12. Go to his website, he paints a pretty picture of himself

He will not be an easy push over.

[Sunlei]

5. 10k sigs by 2/28? check every single sig. of those 10,000.

no monkey business will be tolerated with signatures

[mgcgulfcoast]

7. he will lose by 30%

we have this seat in the bag.

[TroyD]

11. Perhaps, but . . .

As others have said, in politics it is best never to get overconfident and take anything for granted. We know what happened to Martha Coakley 3 years ago - it's important that Ed Markey work hard for this seat just in case there is an unexpected development.

[Cha]

8. From what I read.. he has Romney stench

on him. That was real popular in MA.

[11 Bravo]

9. Can he hide his dick with one hand? If so, perhaps.

[totodeinhere]

10. I don't think so. Democrats in Massachusetts got caught napping last time

but after having had that experience once it won't happen again.