Claiming his support "remains widespread and deep," Republican Bill Hudak yesterday announced he would make another run for Congress in 2012.
Hudak, a lawyer from Boxford, tallied 43 percent of the vote last fall when he lost to incumbent Democrat John Tierney. Since then, Hudak said he has received "hundreds of e-mails and phone calls" urging him to mount another campaign.
"I want all my supporters to be clear about where I am and what we're going to be doing moving forward," he said.
Tierney declined to address the prospect of another challenge from Hudak.
"In November, the voters of the 6th District overwhelmingly re-elected Congressman Tierney," the congressman's spokeswoman, Laura Keiter, said in a prepared statement. "While Congressman Tierney has announced his intent to run for Congress in 2012, his current focus remains on fighting for the best interests of the middle-class families, small business owners and seniors of the 6th Congressional District."
Unlike last fall, when Hudak handily defeated Saugus lawyer Robert McCarthy in a primary, Hudak could face a formidable challenge from within his own party. Richard Tisei, a former state senator from Wakefield who campaigned for lieutenant governor as Charlie Baker's running mate, is said to be considering a run.
"At this point, it is too early to worry about," Hudak said.
Using the lessons of his first bid for public office, he said he would run a leaner, more efficient campaign.
"Most of the consultants weren't worth the money they were paid," Hudak said.
The new family room in his Boxford home, which was recently repaired after being damaged in a fire, is large enough to serve as a campaign office. Volunteers have already used the space to put out his campaign's first mailing over the weekend.
In November, Hudak fared well in the district's smaller communities but struggled in its larger urban centers. He lost Lynn, Salem, Peabody and Beverly.
After it took nine months to build an organization, Hudak said his campaign "ran out of time" before it could establish the grass-roots presence needed to get voters to the polls in the cities. He hopes his early entrance — Election Day is more than 18 months away — will make it possible to correct that problem. He also believes he will have more ground to cover on the campaign trail once the state finishes redistricting.
There is also money to raise. Tierney spent almost $2 million to Hudak's $826,000. The congressman's campaign paid Chicago-based media consultant Adelstein Liston more than $1 million in the last month alone.
Hudak now has $1,430 in the bank, according to recent filings.
Tierney has $188,000.
It turned ugly between the two candidates, particularly as the election neared. They produced negative ads attacking each other.
Tierney highlighted Hudak's alleged "birther" ties and the Republican's pre-election lawn sign in 2008 that showed Obama made to look like Osama bin Laden. Hudak tried to link Tierney to the legal troubles of his wife, Patrice, who pleaded guilty in October to four counts of aiding and abetting the filing of false federal tax returns.
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