Getting On Senate Ballot Just One Hurdle For Former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan

BOSTON (CBS) - With just six weeks to go until the filing deadline in the senate race, former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan has been out collecting signatures.

But for Sullivan, getting on the ballot is just one of the several hurdles.

Sullivan is trying to do what only two other former prosecutors - former Sen. Ed Brooke and former Gov. Bill Weld - have been able to do; win a statewide office higher than attorney general.

"My experiences certainly have been as a prosecutor but they're much broader than that as well," Sullivan told WBZ-TV's Jon Keller. "I spent 16 years working for the Gillette company, starting on the shop floor, so I understand and appreciate the value of hard work.""

And the value of hard times, judging from a reputation for tough sentencing that earned him the nickname ' Maximum Mike.'

And as the Brown-Warren showdown last year proved, while economic issues will likely take center stage, social issues can still become a big factor.

"I personally believe that marriage is between a man and a woman," Sullivan said.

With conservative views that include opposition to abortion, this former prosecutor can only hope socially liberal voters refuse to indict him for them.