Kerry is next up for reelection to the Senate in 2008 which is also a presidential election year. Under Massachussetts law, can he run for both offices simutaneously? If not, if DemocRAT nominee is known in the spring and it isn't Kerry, how late can Kerry put off filing papers to run for the Senate?
Kerry can not run for both offices at once here.
The Mass. legislature has already demonstrated that they are willing to change laws if it suits them. They did so this very year regarding the Governor's authority to appoint a Senator (in case Kerry won) who leaves prematurely.
The real point was to allow a current Congress seat holder the opportiunity to run for Senate and yet not lose their seat if they lost. It was a shameless maneuver. That law was OK for Mass. when JFK won in 1960, but no more.