Julianne Holland  Journal Staff

I am disappointed to announce that Scott Brown will not be campaigning to replace former Senator John Kerry in the upcoming special election. However, I am excited to see who he will replace in 2014. Although losing a Democratic seat in the Senate would be a clear win for Republicans, it is best – strategically – for Scott Brown to not run in this race.

As one can only imagine, campaigning is exhausting both mentally and financially. Just look at all the debt our very own Senator Elizabeth Warren got herself into. After his last campaign, Scott Brown should take his time to build an even stronger campaign for the next go-around. If Scott Brown were to be elected, he would only be running to be Senator for the remainder of the former Senator Kerry’s term – meaning that his time in the Senate would only be a few months.

In my opinion, as tempting as the chair is, Scott Brown doesn’t want the last sliver of John Kerry’s term. He wants the full term because he recognizes that there is a lot that needs to be accomplished. Brown knows, just as well as the Republican Party, he is more than capable of executing those accomplishments. Brown made a statement regarding his stance in the special election: “I was not at all certain that a third Senate campaign in less than four years, and the prospect of returning to a Congress even more partisan than the one I left, was really the best way for me to continue in public service at this time. And I know it’s not the only way for me to advance the ideals and causes that matter most to me. That is why I am announcing today that I will not be a candidate for the United States Senate in the upcoming special election.”

So far, there are only two declared candidates for the upcoming special election; both are Democratic U.S. Representatives Edward Markey and Stephen Lynch. Edward Markey stands close to Obama’s plan, stating recently, “I am running to move President Barack Obama’s agenda forward.” This kind of comment gives me, as well as all other Republicans, the chills.

I see all of these newspaper articles stating, “GOP scrambling to find Senate candidate.” In all honesty, Republicans aren’t even breaking a sweat. The party is thinking long term – something not quite as popular in the Democratic Party. It seems as though the Republican Party is strategically saving the strongest candidates for the next election in 2014. As this election unfolds, surely more candidates will join, and I, as well as the rest of us, am looking forward to seeing who will be the final candidates.