The former lieutenant governor from Beverly was seriously considering a run for Congress against Democrat John Tierney, according to Bill Hudak, her would-be opponent in a Republican primary.
"You heard it here first," Hudak said at the beginning of a meeting with The Salem News' editorial board.
The source for Hudak's scoop was Sen. Scott Brown.
The senator relayed the information during a phone conversation with Hudak on Monday, Hudak said.
"(Brown) said that he had heard that she was thinking of running and that she had done some polling and it looked favorable," Hudak said.
That was the basis for the rumor that I had heard at about the same time that Joe posted on Red Mass Group. Did Brown call Hudak? We may never know as Brown's office declined comment.
