Jam on!

U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes (D-NH) has announced that he will be running for the United States Senate in 2010.

Hodes will be running to fill the seat being vacated by U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH), who has been tapped to be Secretary of Commerce. Gregg’s replacement, U.S. Sen.-designate Bonnie Newman (R-NH) has said she will not run in 2010.

“It is with the stories of people like Anne Marie Morse, Chris Howe, and thousands of New Hampshire families struggling in this difficult economy in mind that I announce today that I will run for the United States Senate in 2010 to continue to keep our state and our nation moving forward,” Hodes wrote on the website Blue Hampshire.

Hodes said that he will formally announce his candidacy sometime over the next couple of months.

Former U.S. Rep. Charlie Bass (R-NH) told the Concord Monitor that he is interested in running for the seat and former U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu (R-NH) is often mentioned as a possible candidate. The Monitor also floated the names of New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly Ayotte and Jim Merrill, as potential candidates.

The Union Leader reported yesterday that Katrina Swett will run for Hodes’ congressional seat in 2010.

What about Hodes?

The Union Leader is reporting that U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes (D-NH) will announce “within the week” that he will run for the United States in 2010.

Hodes will be running for the seat that is being vacated by U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg, who is slated to become the next Secretary of Commerce.

Hodes was elected to a second term in November and said a month ago that he was “seriously considering” running for the senate.

Here are a couple of things to consider about Hodes’ announcement:

-Does this deter other Democrats from joining the race?
-Did he make this decision with a blessing from Ray Buckley?
-Did he talk with Carol Shea-Porter?
-Who will be the first Republican to announce they are running for the seat?
-Who will John H. Sununu call over the next week?