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Rep. Conroy Jumps Into Race For Mass. Treasurer

State Rep. Tom Conroy on Thursday entered the race to succeed Steve Grossman as Massachusetts treasurer, an office that manages the state's money and oversees the Lottery.

Conroy, a four-term Democrat from Wayland, stressed his private sector experience as a financial consultant and said a theme of his campaign would be fighting for economic justice and against income inequality.

Former Brookline Selectman Deb Goldberg, a onetime candidate for lieutenant governor, is also seeking the Democratic nomination for treasurer, and state Sen. Barry Finegold, of Andover, is weighing a run. No Republicans have announced for the office as yet.

Grossman is among several candidates vying to succeed Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick, who is not seeking a third term.

Conroy, 51, was briefly a candidate for the U.S. Senate seat eventually won by Democrat Elizabeth Warren in 2012.

Conroy opposed the casino gambling law and said he believes that casinos, which are likely to open in Massachusetts over the next several years, will result in a "significant cannibalization" of revenues from the state Lottery, much of which goes to local governments.

"The treasurer's role is very important in terms of protecting that Lottery revenue, protecting that municipal aid (for) cities and towns," he said.

If elected, he promised to create within three months of taking office a plan aimed at softening any impact that casino gambling might have on the Lottery.

Conroy, who serves as House chair of the Labor and Workforce Development committee, also said he would work to keep the state's borrowing costs low by maintaining a strong bond rating. He cited his work as a lawmaker in identifying new non-tax revenues and reforming the state's pension system.

This article was originally published on January 09, 2014.

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