Over on the POLITICO blog, David Catanese writes “from the Campaign Trail” about what he sees as the 10 most competitive Senate races for 2012. This will be a posting updated monthly. He ranks the Virginia race (for now) at #1 – coming in at #6 most competitive:

6. MASSACHUSETTS – Even considering Sen. Scott Brown’s sparkling approval ratings and flush bank account, Democrats will be poised to try to swipe back the seat long held by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy.  Rep. Mike Capuano is the only Democrat willing to acknowledge he’s actively considering a Senate bid and is viewed as the candidate most likely to take the plunge.  Rep. Ed Markey has $3 million stockpiled in the bank, allowing him a longer timetable, though some Democrats doubt he’ll ever pull the trigger.  State party chair John Walsh tells POLITICO he doesn’t expect announcements until later this spring and he isn’t sweating it.  “If we got to June and there was nobody declared, then I’d say, oh we’re running behind schedule.  I hadn’t even met Deval Patrick at this point in the [2006] cycle,” noted Walsh, who served as the governor’s campaign manager.

Who Won January: Brown

Latest Poll:  Brown 52%, Capuano 36% (Public Policy Polling 11/29-12/1 500 voters)

Read his full article here at POLITICO.com.

NOTE: Reporter Hillary Chabot also weighed in on the 2012 Senate race here in the Boston Herald this morning.