Mass.: Out Pol Announces Bid for Congress

Out Massachusetts state representative Carl Sciortino announced that he will run for Congress, going after the seat that may be vacated by Rep. Edward Markey.

Sciortino would run for the seat if Markey wins a special election for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by new Secretary of State John Kerry.

Sciortino was first elected to the state legislature at age 25 in 2004 in a major upset against a 14-year incumbent. He is one of Massachusetts's seven openly gay legislators and coauthored the 2011 Transgender Equal Rights bill. He also cosponsored legislation that created a 35-foot buffer zone at the entrances to reproductive health centers. He lives in Medford with his fiance.

"I am running to coninue the strong progressive leadership that the families of the Fifth District have always counted on," he said in a statement on his newly launched website Friday.

The Democrat also endorsed Markey's candidacy.

"I am proud to call Ed Markey my Congressman and I am dedicated to helping elect him as our next U.S. Senator," he said. "His record on behalf of Masachusetts families -- fightng for jobs, consumers' rights, and a healthier environment -- is the kind of leadership Massachusetts needs in the Senate and it is a record I look forward to continuing in Congress."