Fmr. Romney Lawyer to Run for Kerry's Seat

The GOP officially has a candidate in the special election to replace former Sen. John Kerry.

State Rep. Dan Winslow announced Thursday he will seek the party’s nomination, making him the first Republican to formally throw his hat into the ring.

“As a native of Western Massachusetts, a hardworking middle class family, and as an experienced problem solver, I believe that the next two years will be our last, best opportunity to avoid the tipping point of a runaway deficit and crushing federal debt,” Winslow said in a release.

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"I have a proven record of respect for Second Amendment constitutional freedoms.

My experience as a fiscal conservative and problem solver is experience we need in Washington DC,” he added.

Winslow, an attorney, has served in the Massachusetts state legislature since 2011.

From 2001-2005, he served as chief legal counsel to then-Gov. Mitt Romney.

Democrats pounced on the Winslow-Romney connection in a statement issued earlier in the week, after Winslow announced he was seriously considering entering the race.

“Winslow will work just as hard to stop President Obama's agenda in the Senate as he did to deny him a second term and send Mitt Romney to the White House,” Massachusetts Democratic Party Chairman John Walsh told The Hill.

“During his time on Beacon Hill, Republican Winslow has shown that he is more interested in grabbing headlines than getting work done for the people of the Commonwealth," Walsh said.

Walsh’s statement went on to claim that Winslow is a member of “Romney's inner circle,” and said he spent last year as one of Romney's “apologists and political attack dogs.”

Winslow has already loaned $100,000 of his own money to his campaign, which he estimates will cost somewhere between $4 and $6 million.

He is set to meet with Republicans in Washington, including the National Republican Senatorial Committee, next week.

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At this point, Democrats have two candidates in the race: Reps. Edward Markey and Stephen Lynch.

The primary election will be held April 30th.