Q&A #4: Future Statewide Pols

"Thecosmicamerican" asks:

I've heard many people discuss the absence of MA elected officials ready to take the next step into the Governorship, US Senate, etc. Who on Beacon Hill now do you see as future Statewide (nationwide?) figures?

I'd look off of Beacon Hill for upcoming talent, but on the hill (not counting those already in statewide office) I think you can see Katherine Clark, maybe Ben Downing... I don't know, to be honest I see a lot of perfectly decent pols, a fair number of newbies with potential, and not much to get excited about.

I don't think it's a coincidence that our current Democratic Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Treasurer, Attorney General, and presumptive US Senate candidate all held no previous Beacon Hill elected office. Same with the presumptive Democratic nominee for this year's open Congressional seat (Joe Kennedy III), and the last open Congressional seat (Bill Keating) and the one before that (Niki Tsongas).