Former senator Scott Brown said late Wednesday he would not run for governor next year, ending months of uncertainty within the Republican Party and effectively sweeping a path to the nomination for 2010 gubernatorial nominee Charles D. Baker.
Brown, whose surprising 2010 Senate win leaves him as the only Republican to win statewide since 2002, said he hoped to pursue private-sector opportunities but did not foreclose on future bids for office.
“I’ve decided, with my wife’s blessing, that I will not be running for governor of Massachusetts in 2014.” Brown said on WBZ-Radio’s “Dan Rea Show.”
After losing his reelection bid to Democrat Elizabeth Warren last year, Brown took a job with the Boston law firm Nixon Peabody and as a commentator for Fox News.
In a Facebook post, Brown wrote, “I have been fortunate to have private sector opportunities that I find fulfilling and exhilarating. These new opportunities have allowed me to grow personally and professionally. I want to continue with that process.”
Brown told WBZ he would support Baker if the Swampscott Republican wages a second campaign for governor but raised doubts about Baker’s ability to appeal to voters. “Is he Mr. Personality? No,’’ Brown said. “Everyone knows that, he’s not.”
Caroline Cournoyer is GOVERNING's senior web editor.
