Report: Tagg Romney weighing Senate bid

Tagg Romney, the eldest son of former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, is weighing a bid for the Senate seat vacated by Secretary of State John Kerry, the Boston Herald is reporting.

The story follows a report earlier in the weekend that top Republicans in the state had approached both the former governor and his wife, Ann Romney, about the possibility of seeking the seat. According to the Herald, state Republicans believe the Romney's name recognition and wealth could help them compete in the heavily Democratic state.

On Friday, former Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) surprised many in the state by announcing he would not seek the open Senate seat. Brown was elected in 2010 in a special election to fill the seat of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) but lost it to Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in 2012. Had he opted to run, it would have been Brown's third Senate race in four years.

“Over these past few weeks I have given serious thought about the possibility of running again, as events have created another vacancy requiring another special election," Brown said in a statement. "I have received a lot of encouragement from friends and supporters to become a candidate, and my competitive instincts were leading in the same direction."

But with Brown out, Republicans have been scrambling to find a candidate for the June 25 election. State Senate minority leader Richard Tisei, the choice of many in the party after Brown opted not to run, also announced over the weekend that he would not seek the nomination.

“I believe it’s imperative that the Republican party put forward a strong candidate who can help bring much-needed change to Washington,” Tisei said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the timing is simply not right for me to do so — deeply as I feel about the need to strongly compete in this election. It was also my desire to make this decision as quickly as possible so that other potential candidates would be able to consider whether they should run.”

With Tisei and Brown opting out, Republicans are apparently looking to the family of their former governor. Tagg Romney did earn some campaign experience in 2012, stumping frequently for his father on the trail. He also founded Boston-based Solamere Capital with his father's finance director, Spencer Zwick, giving him access to the city's financial industry and the national Republican fundraising apparatus.

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