Keenan Making Run For State Senate Presidency

QUINCY, MA — State Senator John Keenan is among a group of Democrats hoping to take the top post in the Massachusetts Senate.

Keenan, a Quincy Democrat who represents the city and Braintree, told State House News that he has made the decision to actively pursue the leadership post and has been informing colleagues of his desire for their support.

"A couple of people in discussions last week about what's next for the Senate asked if I was interested and I thought about it and I am. I'm actively seeking it," Keenan told the News Service.

Keenan joins Karen Spilka, Assistant Majority Leader Sal DiDomenico and Eileen Donoghue and Eric Lesser in the race for the presidency. Sen. Mark Montigny is not actively perusing the position, but has not ruled a run out.

The Senate reorganization follows the resignation of former Senate President Stan Rosenberg. He was forced to step down following an ethics investigation into whether he violated any rules with regard to his husband's alleged sexual misconduct.

Senate President Harriette Chandler recently said she leave the position after 2018.

Keenan stressed the importance he would put on making sure the House, Senate and executive branch "work well together," but sidestepped the question of whether he feels House-Senate relations need to be mended following several years during which the branches have fought over internal legislative rules and appeared often not to be on the same page when it came to policy priorities.

Reporting from State House News was used in this story.

Image Credit: Sam Doran/File/SHNS