YES and YES and YES and yeah, baby...Ed Markey to run for Kerry's Senate seat

[Jim Lane]

65. There are a couple of downsides.

One is the possibility of splitting the vote (if the primary is by plurality rather than requiring a majority). Capuano and Markey are both more liberal than Lynch, who's been criticized by NARAL for his positions on reproductive rights. If all three run, we could end up with a Democratic nominee who's arguably to the right of Scott Brown on abortion.

Another is the effort and expense of the primary campaign. If donors are tapped out for a contested primary, it could hurt the fundraising for the special election. It's even worse if the primary turns nasty, and supporters of the losing candidate(s) are left embittered enough to sit out the election or even vote for Brown.

As against that, if two or more of those Representatives decide to try for the seat, there's really no good way to winnow the field other than an open primary.