Congressman Stephen Lynch said Friday that a “final decision” on a U.S. Senate run will come soon, despite multiple reports that cited sources saying the South Boston Democrat will jump into the race next week. U.S. Sen. John Kerry will likely be confirmed next week as Secretary of State.

Lynch spoke to the Reporter on his way up to the Dorchester offices of SEIU 1199, the healthcare workers union. “One of the news outlets said I had announced, and I had a date and I had an event planned and all this stuff, and that was totally premature. We’re still – obviously I’m here to talk with the SEIU, I just left the plumbers’ union hall,” Lynch said. “I’ve got some people that I’ve got to talk to up in Lowell and Haverhill tomorrow. So we’re still, we’re still, you know, doing the outreach that we need to do to measure our support, to make sure that if we get into this thing, that we can run a good strong campaign.”

Pressed about the expected special election, Lynch said, “When you’re in, you’re in, you know? And that decision is final. But we’re not there yet. And we anticipate we’ll have to make a decision, a final decision, after Senator Kerry’s confirmed, and that I think is now scheduled to be Tuesday. So we’ll have to make a decision shortly thereafter.”

Lynch added: “I think, if you’re in, you’re totally in, 100 percent. And if you’re out, you’re totally out. So there’s sort of no one leg in, one leg out, you know, that type of thing. So we’ll hold off until we make a final decision.”

Lynch, a former ironworker who was elected to the U.S. House in 2001, headed up to the SEIU offices shortly after 4 p.m. “It’s about ten degrees out there. I’m glad I’m not out ironworking today,” he said, making small talk with a woman in the building’s lobby, before speaking briefly with the Reporter.

National Journal reported in December that Lynch has been telling allies that he's in the Senate race.

Congressman Ed Markey (D-Malden) has already announced he's running for Kerry's seat.

In a statement released this afternoon, state Democratic Party chairman John Walsh said if a primary occurs, it will showcase a "deep pool" of Democratic talent.

"If there is a primary, the Massachusetts Democratic Party will endorse no candidate and we will remain focused on building a grassroots coordinated campaign to support whoever becomes our nominee to keep John Kerry's ideas and values moving forward," Walsh said.