With Sen. John Kerry expected to be nominated for secretary of state, it’s assumed just-vanquished GOP Sen. Scott Brown will run in another special election for the Massachusetts seat.

What’s a lot less certain is that Brown can pull off a repeat of his 2010 stunner.

Though Brown is far better known than any of his potential Democratic rivals — Reps. Ed Markey, Michael Capuano and Stephen Lynch top the current list — he’d also enter his third Senate campaign in four years with fresh wounds and new baggage.