Scott Brown

Coming off of a significant re-election victory Tuesday night, state Sen. Scott Brown said Wednesday that he is often a target of Democrats because he is vocal in his efforts to hold their leadership accountable and that he would consider running for statewide office if the right situation presented itself.

Brown trounced his Democratic challenger, Sara Orozco, by more than 14,500 votes in the Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex District, according to the Boston Globe. Brown said he received more votes in some towns in the district than Democratic President-elect Barack Obama or U.S. Sen. John Kerry, another Democrat.

Brown, of Wrentham, was a target for Democrats this year, as several elected officials, including Gov. Deval Patrick (D-Milton), campaigned for Orozco. Brown said Democrats go after him because he has vocally taken on their decisions in managing the state.

"The [Democratic] party has to go after somebody and if they can pick out a high visibility Republican it gives them more credibility," Brown told PolitickerMA.com. "It wasn't that they thought [Orozco] had something to offer, it's because I was out there beating the drum, criticizing them for all the things they have done."

State Sen. Scott Brown leads Democratic challenger Sara Orozco by more than 14,000 votes with all precincts reporting, according to the Boston Globe.

With the election just three days away, here is a breakdown of the races PolitickerMA.com is watching.

U.S. Senate: Republican challenger Jeff Beatty has been relentless in his attacks on U.S. Sen. John Kerry for, among other things, his 2002 vote to authorize the use of force in Iraq. Kerry, a Boston Democrat, has repeatedly parried those charges by pointing to the due diligence he did leading up to the vote, including a conversation with then Secretary of State Colin Powell, which he says was influential in his decision to vote for the resolution. Beatty has also been critical of Kerry's vote for the Wall Street bailout and has raised questions about Kerry's ties to insurance lender AIG. Kerry has been quick to rebut Beatty's charges though, and Beatty has yet to make a dent in Kerry's substantial lead (30+ points) in the polls. So much so, that Kerry is campaigning for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama in New Hampshire on Saturday and is appearing as a surrogate for Obama on Meet the Press this Sunday. Can Beatty earn more than the 31 percent Kerry's primary challenger, Ed O'Reilly, received? Is that 31 percent the anti-Kerry base?

Question 1: This ballot question, which once looked like it would be an exciting one to watch, could end up being a dud on Election Day. The Coalition for our Communities, the organization opposing the measure that would abolish the state income tax, has spent significantly more money (TV ads, radio ads, etc.) to defeat the measure than the Committee for Small Government, the organization behind the question, has spent on trying to get it passed. The most recent 7News/Suffolk University poll showed undecideds breaking against the measure, with 59 percent of respondents saying they oppose it, 26 percent saying they support it and 14 percent saying they are undecided. The supporters of the measure hope to capitalize on Bay State voters' discontent with Beacon Hill, which raises the question of how recent events could influence the vote. Will Gov. Deval Patrick's recent budget cuts help or hurt this question's chances? Could state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson's arrest on corruption charges sour voters opinion of Beacon Hill to the point where they no longer trust the state government with their tax dollars?

Here is a breakdown of how much money candidates in the more high profile State House races this cycle have in their bank accounts going into Election Day, according to their reports with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance.

These figures show much large the candidates' campaign coffers are through Oct. 17.

Suffolk-2 Senate
State Sen. Dianne Wilkerson (D-Boston): -$1,936.91
Sonia Chang-Diaz (D-Jamaica Plain): $24,544.88

Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex Senate
State Sen. Scott Brown (R-Wrentham): $96,542.98
Sara Orozco (D-Needham): $10,264.74

Middlesex-Worcester Senate
Steven Levy (R-Marlborough): $3,865.41
State Rep. Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton): $39,984.73

Middlesex-4 House
Arthur Vigeant (R-Marlborough): $4,402.93
Danielle Gregoire (D-Marlborough): $9,032.06

While she nearly matched him in fundraising for the corner, Democratic challenger Sara Orozco headed into the final weeks leading up to Election Day at a large financial disadvantage to incumbent state Sen. Scott Brown, according to their filings with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance.

Brown, a Wrentham Republican, raised $38,620 from the end of August to Oct. 17, finishing the period with more than $96,500 in his campaign bank account.

Orozco, of Needham, raised nearly $36,600 during the same period, but finished with $10,260 in her campaign coffer.

Congressman Edward Markey is slated to appear at a sign standout and rally for state Senate candidate Sara Orozco and state Rep. Tom Conroy on Thursday, according to Orozco's campaign.

Markey, a Malden Democrat, will headline a rally at Wayland Center on Thursday, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

The Boston Herald endorsed four state House candidates this week.

The Herald noted in its editorial Monday that with so few competitive races this year, it makes picking candidates easier but that "in the interest of a thriving democracy we certainly hope this is the low point."

The daily backed Republican state Sen. Scott Brown in his race against Needham Democrat Sara Orozco in the Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex District.

UPDATED: Gov. Deval Patrick will campaign Wednesday with Democratic state Senate candidate Sara Orozco and Democratic state House candidate Bill Bowles in Attleboro, according to the Orozco campaign.

Patrick, a Milton Democrat, is joining the two candidates for coffee at Jaec's Café in Attleboro.

State Sen. Scott Brown also opposes Question 1, his campaign told PolitickerMA.com Tuesday night.

Brown, a Wrentham Republican, is being challenged this year by Needham Democrat Sara Orozco.

Orozco has also said she is against Question 1, which would abolish the state income tax.

Democratic state Senate Sara Orozco opposes Question 1, according to a recent release from her campaign.

Sara Orozco (D-Needham)Orozco, of Needham, is challenging Republican state Sen. Scott Brown in the Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex Senate district this year.

Orozco's campaign announced Monday night that she will be attending a town meeting on Wednesday with state Rep. Lida Harkins (D-Needham) in opposition to Question 1, the ballot measure that would abolish the state income tax.

"This is the wrong referendum at the wrong time for the wrong reasons," Orozco said.  "Question 1 is a reckless measure that could spell disaster for our commonwealth. Every voter needs to know what this ballot measure will really mean for them and their families."