Eye on 2010

Coakley has enjoyed a strong lead in early polls in the race to succeed the late Edward M. Kennedy, thanks to her broad name recognition in the state.

But as a state official, she wasn't able to store up cash for a run. EMILY's List, which backs female candidates who support abortion rights, and other local female officials are determined to help her make up the difference. Malcolm said her members are "on fire about this race," particularly since there have been few opportunities to elect women to statewide office or Congress in Massachusetts.

Coakley was the first woman elected state Attorney General, in 2007. And freshman Democratic Rep. Nikki Tsongas was the first woman elected to Congress from Massachusetts in 25 years when she won a 2007 special election.

Malcolm, Massachusetts Senate President Therese Murray and the Massachusetts Women Caucus all rallied around Coakley's candidacy at the luncheon, which raised $150,000 for the campaign. All told, 29 female state legislators and four female mayors have endorsed Coakley's campaign.

Coakley also was endorsed Tuesday by the Women's Campaign Forum and its PAC, which raises funds for endorsed candidates.

The attorney general's campaign set a goal of raising $1 million in September. Asked if they had met that threshold, Coakley told CQ Politics, "I sure hope so!"

She also said the campaign has no plans to make any ad buys in the next week, and is focused instead on grassroots outreach. "At this stage, we don't need to be on air," said Coakley, indicating that her competitors' ad buys -- Pagliuca and Capuano both launched television ads upon entering the race -- is a sign they are nervous about their visibility.

The Capuano campaign announced endorsements this week from labor unions Teamsters Local 122, which represents over 800 employees throughout the metropolitan Boston area, UNITE HERE'S New England Joint Board, which represents 6,000 workers in Massachusetts and the Retired State, County and Municipal Employees Association of Massachusetts which represents more than 62,000 members statewide.

Capuano and Coakley are in a battle for labor support, with Coakley already snagging the endorsements of the Teamsters Joint Council 10 of New England, Teamsters Local 127, Unite Here! Local 26, New England Regional Council of Carpenters, Carpenters Local Union 26, and Painters & Allied Trades District Council # 35. Capuano has also earned the backing of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Massachusetts.

While the Democrats slug it out, state Sen. Scott P. Brown is enjoying a rather uneventful ride to the Republican nomination. On Wednesday, former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan confirmed what most has already concluded -- he won't be running in the GOP primary. Brown's only declared competitor is Canton Selectman Robert Burr.

Brown announced Wednesday that he raised nearly $155,000 since joining the race September 12 and has $136,000 cash-on-hand. He has a long way to go if he hopes the match the resources available to the eventual Democratic nominee, but will be able to get away with spending far less than the Democrats in the two-month sprint to the primary.

Alan Khazei,co-founder of the City Year national volunteer program, is running as the anti-establishment candidate in the Democratic field.

The election is set for Jan. 19 with primaries taking place Dec. 8. The election was triggered by Kennedy's death from brain cancer on Aug. 25.

CQ Politics rates the general election contest Democrat Favored.