Diehl campaign boosts profile for future runs, pundits say
Geoff Diehl has expanded his profile with his campaign against U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren — setting himself up for future statewide runs, experts say.
“He’ll definitely have a higher profile by doing this run,” former Massachusetts Republican Party Executive Director Rob Willington told the Herald. “This campaign for Diehl has given him more options in the future.”
Diehl, a state representative from Whitman, challenged Warren in yesterday’s election. Diehl, who aligns himself with President Trump, beat out two centrist Republicans for his party’s nomination to take on the one-term U.S. senator.
“The two things he’ll have more of are name identification and data,” Willington said of Diehl, who Willington said ran a solid campaign and ended up a visible, well-known candidate.
If Diehl’s campaign office did it right and was fastidious about recording information on topics such as volunteers and yard signs, Willington said, Diehl should end up with a valuable trove for a future run for some statewide office himself — and for other GOP hopefuls, who will be calling.
“If people are running for office, they’ll want to reach out to him,” Willington said.
“He’ll have to look at where he did well,” GOP consultant Brad Marston said. For example, if Diehl wins the area covered by the state senate seat that includes his home, that would be a logical next step, Marston said.
“I think he will be in a good position,” Marston said.
But former state Democratic Party chairman John Walsh was somewhat less bullish on Diehl — in the Bay State, at least.
“There’s not many opportunities for right-wing idealists in Massachusetts, so we’ll see what happens,” Walsh, though he added he might have a role in the Trump administration. “The president likes people like that.”