One might think that the re-election of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy '54-'56 to the U.S. Senate after a 32-year tenure seems all but assured.
But eight Massachusetts residents have entered the 1994 senatorial race hoping to defy the odds and defeat the powerful heir to the Kennedy legacy.
The two front-runners for the Republican nomination, W. Mitt And campaign officials seem to think they areequipped to compete with what might be one ofKennedy's more formidable assets--his popularity. But while Lakian and Romney may share anoccupation and an opposition to Kennedy, they arefar from two peas in the proverbial pod. Lakian ispro-choice, while Romney opposes abortion. And TheBoston Globe reported yesterday that a top Lakianaide tried to embarrass Romney by recruitingRomney former sister-in-law to campaign forLakian. Still, their joint disdain for the seniorSenator remains the driving force in bothcampaigns. 'An Uphill Battle' "It's a really tough race," said Ann Murphy,Romney's campaign spokesperson. "The Kennedy nameis very well known in Massachusetts. It's going tobe a real uphill battle." But Romney, 46, said that despite hispopularity, Kennedy is no longer an effectivesenator. "Thirty-two years is a very long time," Romneysaid in a press release this week, referring toKennedy's years in office. "The answers Ted Kennedy took with him toWashington--to grow government and growspending--have failed us...and everybody knowsit," he said. Romney will focus on economic issues in hiscampaign, Murphy said. "He sees the need to create jobs, to boost theeconomic environment in Massachusetts," Murphysaid. Romney, a Harvard Law School and HarvardBusiness School graduate, is currently the chiefexecutive officer of Bain Capital, a Boston-basedsubsidiary of Bain & Company. With more than $250,000 marked for thesenatorial race, Romney has the largest campaignfund among Kennedy's opponents. "Mitt Romney has a lot of contacts all over thecountry," Murphy said. "He has energy andfinancial backing." Read more in News
