Conroy Bows Out of U.S. Senate Race

Tom Conroy officially announced his withdrawal from the 2012 U.S. Senate campaign Monday and, subsequently, his intention to run for a fourth term in the Massachusetts house.

“It’s the right thing to do for me, for my family, for the people of the 13th Middlesex District,” Conroy said in a phone call with Patch.

Conroy, a Democrat from Wayland, entered the 2012 Senate Democratic primary race in June and soon thereafter  geared toward meeting constituents and talking through issues.

With Conroy's exit, contenders remaining in the Democratic primary race include Herb Robinson, a Newton resident; Marisa DeFranco, a North Shore lawyer; James C. King, a lawyer; and former Harvard Law professor , the race's current frontrunner.

When Elizabeth Warren entered the race in September, Conroy said her candidacy gave the other individuals already in the race  “a lot of pause” and caused them “to reevaluate the validity” of their own campaigns.

Conroy said he saw the possibility of gaining more traction in both media attention and fundraising in the months following Warren’s entering the race, particularly with the two debates scheduled this fall.

“Quite frankly there was a bit of reluctance to fold up the effort after that 650-mile walk throughout the state,” Conroy told Patch.

An announcement on his state representative’s page expresses thanks for the “generous” contributions of time, effort and money of supporters, but states “we could not run the kind of campaign we needed to run throughout next year.”

Conroy said that he will now support Warren in the battle to capture Sen. Scott Brown’s seat in the 2012 election. Warren currently leads in the Democratic polls.

The Wayland legislator today joined , Brookline resident , and Somerville resident  who previously withdrew their candidacies.

Conroy said he doesn't yet know whether he will seek higher office in the future.

“Politics is very unpredictable,” he said.

For now, Conroy said he will focus on continuing to serve as the 13th Middlesex representative. In terms of launching a reelection campaign, that will largely involve continuing to make appearances and doing the work his job currently entails.

“I will definitely be introducing myself to the folks in Framingham and Marlborough that I haven’t had the privilege of representing in the past,” Conroy added. Under the newly approved district maps, the 13th Middlesex District lost a section of Wayland along with all of Lincoln and picked up precincts in Marlborough and Framingham.

Already there is competition for the 13th Middlesex seat, as Wayland Board of Selectmen member Joseph Nolan last week announced his intention to run as a Democratic candidate.