Tisei Set to Announce Congressional Candidacy Thursday

The 2012 6th District congressional race may soon see a rematch.

Former Senate Minority Leader Richard Tisei is set to make an announcement Thursday at 2 p.m. in Wakefield regarding his candidacy for Congress in the 2014 election.

Tisei, a popular Republican who ran against Democratic Congressman John Tierney for the seat in 2012 but lost that race, formed an exploratory committee and filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission in October.

"The critical challenges facing our country have not diminished since 2012," Tisei said at that time. "Rather, they seem to be getting worse. The hyper-partisanship exhibited by both parties on a daily basis has created a stranglehold on our government and is preventing us from moving forward."

Tierney faces two Democratic primary challengers -- former Marine Seth Moulton of Salem and Marblehead and Marissa DeFranco of Middleton -- and a primary race tends to eat away at general election funding and steam. With his narrow victory last time combined with family scandal that won't seem to go away, Roll Call has named Tierney one of the most vulnerable congressmen in 2014.

But Tisei could face a primary as well -- although no other Republicans have announced -- and he could face an uphill battle in a district that -- despite media predictions of vulnerability and even defeat -- has kept Tierney in that seat for eight terms.

Tisei was recently featured in a CBS News piece about three openly gay Republicans looking to make history. If elected, Tisei would be the first openly gay Republican elected to Congress.