Democrat Khazei To Withdraw From U.S. Senate Race

Democrat Alan Khazei is dropping out of the Massachusetts U.S. Senate race.

A spokesman said Wednesday that Khazei will announce his plans in a news conference Thursday. The decision marks a sharp reversal from just a little over a week ago, when Khazei told The Associated Press he planned to remain in the race despite a strong surge by fellow Democrat Elizabeth Warren.

His spokesman, Scott Ferson, said the dynamic of the race is very different from what Khazei expected and he no longer sees a path to victory.

"Elizabeth Warren clearly struck a chord with voters," Ferson told WBUR. "[It's an] honest reading of where people are."

Khazei, co-founder of the City Year program, had raised about $1.3 million since the start of the year. Warren, a Harvard Law School professor, has raised more than $3 million since entering the race this summer.

Four other Democrats — Rep. Tom Conroy, lawyer Marisa DeFranco, lawyer James King and engineer Herb Robinson — remain in the race to challenge Republican Sen. Scott Brown.

The remaining Democrats will debate Nov. 6 in Concord.

With reporting by The Associated Press and the WBUR Newsroom