BOSTON Steve Grossman, the former chair of AIPAC, will be one of two Jewish candidates for Massachusetts governor on the Democratic primary ballot.
Grossman, the states treasurer and one-time head of the Democratic National Committee, and Dr. Don Berwick, a one-time pediatrician and former Medicare chief, qualified in voting by party delegates at the states Democratic convention held Saturday.
A third Jewish candidate, Evan Falchuk, son of former Hadassah national president Nancy Falchuk, is running as an independent.
Dan Wolf, a Jewish state senator and businessman, withdrew months ago from the heated race to succeed Deval Patrick, a Democrat.
The primary will be held in September.
Grossman was the top vote getter on June 14, garnering 35.2% of the delegates votes, ahead of Martha Coakley, the states attorney general, who received 23.3%. Berwick was next at 22.1%, according to the Boston Globe.
Juliette Kayyem, a former Homeland Security official, did not receive the required 15% of the convention vote.
Coakley holds a significant lead in statewide polls.
Massachusetts has never had a Jewish governor, though its not a first for Jewish candidates to run for the states top office.
During the convention, news spread that Grossman had a new grandson, Jacob, born to his son and daughter-in-law.
In the race to replace Grossman as state treasurer, two of the three candidates who will be on the September primary ballot also are Jewish, Deborah Goldberg and Barry Finegold.
