Nuciforo to run for Congress - in 2012

By The Associated Press

BOSTON - Former state Sen. Andrea Nuciforo has decided to run for Congress - in 2012.

The Pittsfield Democrat has filed papers with the Federal Election Commission declaring his candidacy in the state's westernmost 1st House District three years from now. The seat is held by Rep. John Olver of Amherst, a fellow Democrat who has given no indication of retiring.

Nuciforo had been among those considered to possibly challenge Olver in 2010.

"We think a campaign like this requires some lead time," Nuciforo told The Associated Press. "And we will be prepared both financially and organizationally in 2012."

Nuciforo says he supports Olver for re-election next year, although he sidestepped a question about whether he would square off against the incumbent should he seek re-election in 2012.

"I support John Olver; I have supported him for years. To my knowledge, he is running for re-election in 2010, and he will have my enthusiastic support," Nuciforo said.

Asked if that fidelity extended to 2012, he said: "What I'm doing is supporting the congressman's bid for re-election."

Some political observers wondered if Nuciforo's declaration might say something about Olver's long-range plans. Amherst resident Ralph Whitehead, a professor of press and politics at the University of Massachusetts who has worked as a political columnist and consultant to political campaigns and government agencies, sees Nuciforo's decision to run in 2012 as a "very interesting" political strategy that he thinks may suggest Olver plans to retire.

"After winning his first full-term as congressman in 1992, (Olver) pretty much turned this seat into a safe seat," Whitehead said. "My hunch is that Mr. Nuciforo must be guessing or at least gambling that Olver will not seek re-election in 2012."

Because Nuciforo has chosen to support Olver's re-election in 2010, Whitehead said he suspects his plan to run in 2012 is an attempt to be first in what would be a long line of politicians vying for the seat.

"I think he wants to be the first in line chronologically," Whitehead said.

Also finding Nuciforo's announcement an interesting political move was Northampton resident Bill Rosen, a former staff member for Olver, who wasn't as quick to presume retirement in Olver's future.

"I don't know what his intentions are about this, I just think that it is a very interesting move and I would think it is a little presumptuous," Rosen said. "John doesn't make decisions that far in advance. He is not going to make a decision about 2012 because you can't presume such a thing when running for election in 2010."

One possibility, Rosen said, is Nuciforo's recognizing there is a chance that in 2012 the district map in Massachusetts could change from 10 congressional districts to nine.

"That could be a piece of this too," Rosen said. "That redistricting may be coming."

Attempts to reach Nuciforo and Olver at home were unsuccessful Tuesday night.

Nuciforo, 45, represented the Berkshires in the Legislature from 1997 to 2007. He has since returned from Boston and serves as the register of deeds in the Berkshire Middle District.

In a pair of filings made last week, Nuciforo not only declared his congressional candidacy but created a committee to raise and spend money on behalf of his candidacy.

Olver, 72, served three terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives before serving nine terms in the state Senate. In 1991, he won a special election to replace Rep. Silvio Conte, who died in office. Olver faced his most serious re-election battle in 1996 from then-state Sen. Jane Swift, who went on to become the state's lieutenant governor and acting governor.

The congressman holds a seat on the powerful House Appropriations Committee and has accused the federal government of passivity amid evidence of genocide in Darfur. He was arrested in 2006 after protesting outside the Sudanese embassy in Washington.

While Massachusetts currently has 10 members in its House delegation, the state could lose a seat following the 2010 U.S. Census because of expected population loss. That has prompted speculation about redistricting, as well as questions about whether an incumbent or retiring member might lose his or her territory as congressional lines are redrawn.

Staff writer Owen Boss contributed to this report.