Tolman Endorses McCarthy For HIs Former Seat [Video]

In the heart of the hometown of one of his primary candidates, Steve Tolman stood side-by-side with the man he sees as his successor "caring about working people 

At a press conference in front of Belmont's Beech Street Center attended by the Boston Globe, The Boston Phoenix and the Watertown weekly, the former long-time state senator heaped praise on , the former Watertown Fire Department captain and past head of the state's fire fighters union who is challenging three candidates with campaign and legislative experience.

"I am honored to be with you here today and I am going to work my heart out to make sure that we have you as our next state senator," said Tolman as he hugged McCarthy.

"Because no one cares more about the working people and has the heart and the guts to stand up and challenge the system to make it work for the middle class," he said. 

See the video of the endorsement here.

McCarthy said he hopes to carry on Tolman's legacy of "people who are committed to the working class" and those people who need a voice and don't have a voice. He said he was "so grateful" to run in district that he knows so well.

"I just want to be half the person you were in the Senate," said McCarthy.

While saying his endorsement was a difficult one, Tolman, who resigned his Beacon Hill position in October to take the reins of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, pointedly noted that he was "disappointed" in the votes taken by two challengers and former legislative colleagues – and – for supporting reform measures that affected the collective bargaining of municipal workers.

Also running is Boston attorney who has campaigned for state representative and for Boston City Council in the past. It is reported the Boston Mayor Tom Menino has begun using his resources to support Schofield's run.

Brownsberger is a leader in the pension reform movement which seeks to control escalating costs to state retirement plans.

"I value collective bargaining as a way to reach resolution and obviously they didn't," said Tolman who called Brownsberger and Hecht "nice men."