Now that U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III has officially announced his bid for the Senate, people of Massachusetts' 4th Congressional District are lining up to replace him.
Newton City Councilor Becky Grossman released a video launching her campaign. "Be The Change" founder Alan Khazei sent a tweet. And there are many others who are seriously considering a run.
Massachusetts treasurer Deb Goldberg has filed paperwork with the FEC, and former Brookline selectwoman Jesse Mermell left her full-time job.
Others include Somerset Rep. Pat Haddad, Newton City Councilor Jake Auchincloss and Dave Cavell, a former speech writer for President Barack Obama.
Ihssane Leckey, a self-described democratic socialist, announced her intention to run for the House seat in May, then planning a primary battle against Kennedy.
And with more candidates likely coming, how do you stand out?
"The best thing that a candidate for Congress in a district like that needs to do, or any district, is identify their vote base," said political analyst Steve Kerrigan.
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Kerrigan knows a lot about running for Congress in a crowded field, having been a candidate in last year's 3rd District race to replace Niki Tsongas.
"It's going to be a lot of door-knocking," he said. "A lot of person-to-person contact, cause it's not a Boston-based district where you throw a ton of money on television."
Political analyst Alex Goldstein agrees that grassroots field organization will be key in a district that stretches from Brookline to Fall River.
"And the candidates who are successful are the ones that are going to not take a single vote for granted in any of those towns," he said. "Because this is the kind of race that 50 votes, 100 votes, can actually literally win you the race."
Three people often mentioned as possible candidates confirmed Tuesday they will not run. That list includes Foxboro Sen. Paul Feeney, Brookline Rep. Tommy Vitolo and Transportation for Massachusetts Director Chris Dempsey.
