LENOX, Mass. — Treasurer Steven Grossman is expected to win this weekend's Democratic convention.

State Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli is hoping Grossman will be the next governor.

"I think he is the only Democrat in the field currently that can win in November. Any one of these candidates can win in the primary, but the Democrats have to look at who win in November," Pignatelli said earlier this week.

"We know who the Republican is going to be. It is going to be Charlie Baker and he is going to be well-financed, really organized, and we have to put up somebody who can go toe to toe with him."

The dean of the Berkshire delegation expects Grossman to "run away" with this weekend's convention.

"He makes it personal. He looks you in the eye and tells you why he wants to be governor and I think he's making a connection with people unlike any other candidate in the field," Pignatelli said. "For that reason, I think he'll run away with this thing."

State Rep. Paul Mark says he leaning toward Grossman as well.

"It looks like I am with Steve Grossman. I think he would do a really good job working with the Legislature," Mark said on Friday. "I see Steve Grossman as someone who can walk in on day one and get things done."

But, the primary race is "wide open," both Pignatelli and Mark say. The Democratic Party has five candidates running for governor but there hasn't been a "clear cut favorite."

The field consists of two well-know candidates in Grossman and Attorney General Martha Coakley and then three lesser known candidates in Donald Berwick, Juliette Kayyem and Joseph Avellone. The candidates need 15 percent of delegates to be on the primary ballot.

Polls have shown that while Grossman is expected to win the convention, Coakley is still the favorite for the primary. Some polls have even shown Berwick leap-frogging Coakley in delegates at the convention.

"I think it is wide open," Pignatelli said. "I think that shows that there is some good momentum and some great grassroots democracy going on in Massachusetts."

Mark said if all of the candidates could run on the same ticket, that would be an amazing administration because of each of their experiences. But Mark too is expecting Grossman to be the winning of the convention.

"I would predict that Steve Grossman is at the top with the delegates," Mark said, but with limited delegates for five candidates, he expects at least of the five to fall short of the needed 15 percent.

While Coakley and Grossman have been the leading candidates leading up to the primary, the race remains tight. While Pignatelli has come out in favor of Grossman, others have not. State Sen. Benjamin Downing has not and says he might not lend his support to any of the candidates before the primary.

"I just haven't felt compelled to make that statement yet. I fully plan on supporting the Democratic nominee for governor but I don't know if I will involve myself in a primary just yet," Downing said.

Downing, who said he is "skeptical of the power of endorsements anyway," will be active in the election with his role as co-chairman of the party's "coordinated campaign." But looking at the field, Downing says it might be best to let them sort out the nomination on their own.

"No one candidate has caught on fire like Deval Patrick did in 2006 but those five candidates have been out there for the better part of a year plus in some cases," Downing said.

Later adding, "when it gets close, you are better off letting the candidates decide it."

However, in the lieutenant governor race, Downing has already threw his support behind Steve Kerrigan.

"Steve Kerrigan is more than just a candidate I support. We've been good, close friends for a number of years. He is someone who has the skills and the ability to be a successful lieutenant governor for Massachusetts," Downing said.

Pignatelli feels the primary for lieutenant governor is Kerrigan's "race to lose." But, Pignatelli says he hasn't determined who he supports. Mark says he has not yet decided on that race.

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Democratic Party has named state Sen. Ben Downing co-chair of the Coordinated Campaign, a crucial post that will serve as the chief surrogate for Democratic efforts throughout the election cycle.

Downing, of Pittsfield, is a rising star in Democratic politics and has represented the Berkshires and portions of Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden counties since 2007.
 
As chair of Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, Downing’s leadership on clean energy has helped make Massachusetts No. 1 in the nation. According to the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, there are now nearly 80,000 clean energy jobs in Massachusetts, with a 24 percent growth in the last two years.
 
“Massachusetts is back in the leadership business because of the Democratic Party,” said Downing. “As Democrats, we’ve got a great story to tell about leading the nation in business competitiveness, education, clean energy and veteran’s services. I’m excited to travel the commonwealth and tell that story.”
 
Downing’s Coordinated Campaign co-chair will be named at a later date.

The crowd at the law office to hear Berwick spilled out into the hallways. The candidate has seemed to gain support from the more progressive in the Democratic party.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — With the Democratic Convention just two weeks away, gubernatorial candidate Donald Berwick believes he will have the votes to get on the ballot.

Berwick needs 15 percent of delegates to vote his way to be placed on the primary ballot. And with the momentum his campaign has gained recently, he believes he will get it

"I'm sure we are going to be on the ballot. The momentum is stunning. We've had the best fundraising month in our history in May, the number of volunteers has swelled fivefold in two months," Berwick said.

"The response to progressive messaging, for specific bold issues, I can feel it, the momentum is there."

The former administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, where he oversaw implementation of many aspect of the Affordable Care Act, has been gaining support throughout the state from the more progressive Democrats.

Of five potential Democratic candidates, he is the one advocating for a single-payer health care system. Berwick's campaign centers on improving the health care system to pave the way for other progressive issues.

On Sunday, Berwick visited the law office of Sherwood Guernsey, where he met with dozens of progressive Democrats and received support for his vision. Berwick told the crowd that the progressive message is to "show up" to help others of need.

Whether it is helping the homeless, addressing criminal justice reform, to providing more mental health and substance abuse programs, Berwick told those in attendance that he'll talk about and focus on the issues that others have back away from.

"We have a fight on our hands and, with a progressive agenda, we have to assert our values," Berwick said.

Berwick may have hit a niche — especially in the Berkshires where he has campaigned more than most of the Democratic field — with a progressive agenda to get him on the ballot. The next goal would be to win the Democratic primary to be the candidate to take on Republican Charlie Baker.

"Everyone on the Democratic side is very concerned. We have got to keep the corner office in Democratic column. I think I have the best chance at beating Charlie Baker and our momentum is extraordinary," Berwick said.

The campaign, he says, has been built to not only gather delegate support but also is gaining mass attention from the community. The volunteer base has grown to be ready to fully expand the campaign after the election, he said.

Two Democratic candidates entered the race as highly touted elected officials. Treasurer Steven Grossman and Attorney General Martha Coakley are both seeking to replace Gov. Deval Patrick. With most name recognition, they have been the leading candidates in polls.

They could also narrow the number of convention delegates for candidates like Berwick, Juliette Kayyem and Joseph Avellone, to gain their 15 percent.

Even with the two top names expected to be on the ballot, the state Democratic Party has not aligned itself behind a single candidate yet.

In a recent interview, Kayyem, who perhaps has campaigned as much in the Berkshires as Berwick, said the longer it takes for the party as a whole to come to a decision, the better it is for candidates like her.

Kayyem, a former National Security secretary, has been gaining an appeal with the independent voters, so she stands to fare better in a primary than she will at the convention.

She, too, believes she will receive the 15 percent of delegates to be on the primary ballot. Kayyem and Berwick have been running close to each other in polls behind the two leaders.

Avellone, however, has been falling behind and the question leading into the convention is how many Democrats will appear on the ballot.