Possible GOP senate candidate is a WMass native

BOSTON (WWLP) - A Northampton native is considering a run for U.S. Senate in what's expected to be a hotly contested race to replace John Kerry.

State Representative Dan Winslow grew up in Western Massachusetts, but represents a district in the eastern part of the state. The Norfolk Republican has formed an exploratory committee to test the waters on his electability, and on Tuesday, he said that he was “99% sure” that he will be running in the special election.

As a Massachusetts Republican, Winslow says he is the ideal candidate to break through the partisanship in Washington and communicate with both sides of the aisle. 

“I'm a native of western Massachusetts and people in western Massachusetts are a hearty breed and we don't take no for an answer. The more you try to push us down, the harder we work. And so for me as a kid who grew up in the Pioneer Valley, who was born in Northampton, you know I've got nothing by way of money, but a heck of a lot of hard work,” Winslow said.

On Monday, Jack E. Robinson announced that he would run for U.S. Senate as an independent.  Robinson has launched unsuccessful campaigns in the past against Ted Kennedy and Scott Brown.

Democratic Congressmen Edward Markey and Stephen Lynch have already announced that they are running for the seat.

The statewide special election will be held on June 25.