Former Sen. Scott Brown announced on Wednesday he is resigning as head of New England Law Boston and plans to "re-engage in the political arena."
Why it matters: There are two potentially attractive opportunities for the former Massachusetts Republican — who has strong name recognition and is an ally of former President Trump — in his new home state of New Hampshire.
- Republican Gov. Chris Sununu has long been courted by the GOP to run for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Democrat Maggie Hassan. If Sununu ultimately chooses to do so, Brown would have an opening to possibly replace him as governor.
- Brown could potentially try to get in the race against Hassan in 2022, although some GOP strategists told Axios his closeness to Trump could hurt his chances.
- More of a long-shot: running for president in 2024 boosted by his residency in the first primary state, connection to Trump and recent experience in foreign affairs.
The backdrop: Brown served as Trump's U.S. ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa from 2017 until December 2020.
- In January 2021, he accepted a position as the head of NELB.
- Brown, a former Massachusetts resident, was elected as a U.S. senator in the state in 2010, and lost to Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in 2012.
- He then moved to New Hampshire where he ran against, and lost to, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) in 2014.
- In May 2021, Brown wrote an op-ed in the Boston Globe declaring his support for an independent commission to investigation the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
What they're saying: “I am writing to you today to inform you of my decision to resign my positions as President, CEO and Dean of the Faculty of New England Law | Boston, effective immediately,” Brown said in a letter to the chair of the law school’s board, according to the Globe.
- Brown added he is looking forward “to re-engaging in the political arena in support of candidates and causes who share my vision of re-building the Republican Party and moving our country beyond the partisan gridlock — goals that were incompatible with my role as the leader of a non-partisan academic institution.”