Somerville mayor: I may run for governor in 2014

SOMERVILLE, Mass. (AP) - Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone has confirmed he's considering running for governor, a move that could add yet another candidate to an already crowded Democratic primary race.

Curtatone told reporters Thursday that he has no firm timetable for making a decision, but said he's confident he has more than enough skills to do the job of governor.

"The opportunity to do the innovative work that's been lauded nationally, internationally here in Somerville on a statewide level is intriguing to me," said Curtatone. "I'll come to some conclusion in the near future."

Curtatone said he's also running for re-election as mayor in November, an office he's held for a decade, and may have a decision on a bid for governor before then.

Curtatone would join a burgeoning Democratic field.

State Treasurer Steven Grossman announced at the annual convention of the Massachusetts Democratic Party on Saturday that's he'll be a candidate for the state's top political office next year.

Other announced Democratic candidates include state Sen. Dan Wolf from Cape Cod, Newton pediatrician Don Berwick and former Wellesley selectman Joseph Avellone.

Attorney General Martha Coakley also attended the Democratic convention and told reporters that she's "definitely thinking about" running, but hasn't made a final decision.

Other possible Democratic candidates for governor include U.S. Reps. Michael Capuano and Stephen Lynch and Juliette Kayyem, former Massachusetts homeland security undersecretary.

Curtatone said he's keeping an eye on which other candidates may jump into the race, including Coakley and Capuano, a former mayor of Somerville.

"I'm going to make my decisions based on my own personal analysis, but to say you ignore the field, it would not be truthful," he said.

On the Republican side, Charles Baker, former chief executive of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and the 2010 Republican nominee for governor, is weighing another run for the job.

Former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown has also been mentioned as a possible GOP candidate.

Also Thursday, Massachusetts Environmental Secretary Richard Sullivan confirmed that he is considering a run for lieutenant governor.

Sullivan, who served 13 years as mayor of Westfield, said he'll make a final decision over the next few months, but said his western Massachusetts perspective would be an important asset in the corner office.

"With the skill sets I bring, I think I would be a valuable partner" to whichever candidate wins the Democratic primary for governor, Sullivan said.

Two Democrats have already declared their candidacies for lieutenant governor including Steve Kerrigan, a former Lancaster selectman and chief of staff to former Attorney General Thomas Reilly, and Mike Lake, executive director of the World Class Cities Partnership, headquartered at Northeastern University.

Rep. Harold Naughton, a Clinton Democrat, is also weighing a run for lieutenant governor.

The race for both governor and lieutenant governor is wide open as Gov. Deval Patrick and former Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray, both Democrats, have said they are not in the running.

Patrick has served two terms and won't seek a third. Murray resigned from his post earlier this year to take a job as head of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Cox Media Group