If the race for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination doesn't shape up, Jim Braude said yesterday that he may well lace up his shoes and enter the running.

Braude, the executive director for the Tax Equity Alliance for Massachusetts (TEAM), said the two candidates already committed to run, State Sen. Michael J. Barrett '70 (D-Cambridge) and State Rep. Mark Roosevelt '78 (D-Beacon Hill), fall short of the needs of the state's Democratic constituents.

"We need an unrepentant progressive who runs on the Democratic platform, not against it," Braude said, citing the need for a candidate who is willing to challenge incumbent William F. Weld '66 "head-on."

As TEAM's director, Braude is a strong proponent of both the graduated income tax and a law which would mandate the disclosure of corporate tax payments. Barrett opposes both policies, as his conservative tax platform is very similar to Weld's, Braude said.

"Barrett seems to believe that the way to beat Weld is to be Weld," Braude said. "He has moved to the right at breakneck speed."

After his candidacy was announced last fall, Barrett changed his platform on a number of issues.