As the days go by, what was once a potentially large field of candidates to replace Ed Kennedy in the State Senate is shrinking by the day.

John Drinkwater, who ran against Kennedy for the 1st Middlesex District seat in 2018, told InsideLowell this morning that while he isn’t ruling out a future run, the timing at this point isn’t right.

“I deeply appreciate the outreach I have received in recent days encouraging me to run for the First Middlesex State Senate seat,” Drinkwater wrote in a text. “Serving in elected office brings with it a tremendous opportunity to improve the lives of everyday people — something that Senator Kennedy exemplified so well through his decades of service — and for that reason it was a decision that I gave significant consideration. After consulting with family and friends, I have decided that I will not be a candidate in the upcoming Special Election. I am fortunate to have the privilege of working for the members of IUPAT District Council 35, and to spend the rest of my time with a very active family, and I will continue to focus my efforts on those endeavors.”

The former Lowell City Councilor was one of the early names being bandied about as a potential candidate, along with his one-time council colleague John Leahy. After initially acknowledging interest in the seat his father once held, Leahy told InsideLowell last week “it was unlikely.”

Another City Councilor, Erik Gitschier, ended speculation about his potential candidacy late last week, with a definitive “I’m not running” post on his Facebook page.

David Nangle, the former 17th Middlesex State Representative, has not responded to multiple requests for comment. However, we’re beginning to hear speculation from folks around him that what they once considered a likely campaign is looking less and less likely with the passing days.

So far, the only publicly declared candidate is 16th Middlesex State Representative Rodney Elliott. There was speculation Monday, when the dates were set for the February 3 Primary and March 3 General Election, that 17th Middlesex State Rep. Vanna Howard would make her announcement this week. However, InsideLowell is now hearing a decision likely won’t be announced until next week.

As the field of potential candidates continues to dwindle and new names fail to materialize, it’s beginning to shape up as a head-to-head matchup between two of Lowell’s three State Representatives come the Democratic primary on February 3, assuming Howard does the expected and enters the race.