Senate Leadership Fight Full Of Intrigue

BOSTON (AP) _ State senators are struggling to stay focused on major legislation amid the latest twists and turns in the wide open Senate president race.

Democratic Sen. John Keenan, of Quincy, is the latest member to signal his interest. Other Democrats in the mix include Sens. Karen Spilka, of Ashland; Sal DiDomenico, of Everett; and Eric Lesser, of Longmeadow.

While the next president won't be chosen until January, hopefuls must typically begin lining up support from their colleagues months in advance.

The internal jockeying began soon after Sen. Stan Rosenberg stepped down as president in December, following allegations reported in The Boston Globe that his husband had sexually harassed or abused other men. Rosenberg has not publicly ruled out seeking the job again if he's cleared by an ongoing ethics probe.