The race to succeed Deval Patrick as Governor of Massachusetts just got interesting – at least as far as I am concerned.
Juliette Kayyem, a former official in the administrations of Patrick and President Barack Obama, filed papers Tuesday morning with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance forming a committee to run for governor. (Kayyem’s papers-below- were time stamped at 8:59 AM.)
Kayyem, who writes an op-ed column for the Boston Globe, is also finishing up a book, according to her
Twitter feed.
I have no doubt that many political pros will dub Kayyem’s candidacy a long shot. And, at the moment, it is. She’s hardly a household name. But Patrick was a political unknown when he began to explore the possibility of running for governor.
Bay State politics are a calcified affair. I think any smart woman with solid experience immediately cuts through the rubble to attract attention. Bizarre as it may seem, women in the upper reaches of state politics are still something of a novelty. But more important than Kayyem’s gender is the fact that she is not a member of the Beacon Hill crowd.
Peter Ubertaccio, a political analyst and the director of the Joseph Martin Institute at Stonehill College, thinks a Kayyem candidacy could have strong appeal within the progressive community.
“Elizabeth Warren and Deval Patrick both followed a non-traditional path to office,” Ubertaccio said. “They both provide a blueprint for how this can be done. Focus on fundraising first. And then organize on the ground.”
Kayyem has been quietly making the rounds in political circles. Recently Joyce Linehan, a politically active public affairs consultant who was an early Warren supporter, hosted a social to help Kayyem test the prospects.
Expect an official announcement from Kayyem soon.
Peter Kadzis is a contributing editor to WGBH News.
