DEMS SEEKING SAVIOR FOR ’18

Early gov candidates fail to provide spark

Discouraged Bay State Democrats — largely unimpressed with their field of challengers to Gov. Charlie Baker — are now pinning their hopes on President Trump’s controversial policies to whip up voter outrage and lure bigger candidates into the race. “The theory among leading Democrats is that if Charlie’s poll numbers start to drop, someone like Maura Healey could get in,” said one well-connected Massachusetts Dem. “I do think there is an opening here against him. Voters are going to want a governor who will stand up to Trump.”

Democrats like Mayor Martin J. Walsh and U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch can’t seem to muster much enthusiasm for their party’s gubernatorial candidates. Those include Newton Mayor Setti Warren, state Sen. Dan Wolf and Jay Gonzalez, a budget chief under former Gov. Deval Patrick.

“I don’t think Jay ever held office. Setti’s the mayor of Newton. Certainly they have records they can run on,” was Walsh’s ho-hum answer during a recent interview about the 2018 gubernatorial race. “We’ll see what happens.”

He might as well have stifled a yawn.

And Lynch appears to be holding out for a stronger challenger.

“It’s going to be a tough row to hoe to run against Charlie Baker,” Lynch said. “I think the Democrats are still searching for a candidate.”

Ouch. That must be encouraging to Setti Warren.

Lynch declined to say who might jump into the race, and Healey as well as U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton have said they won’t run for the corner office.

Democratic consultant Doug Rubin said the 2018 gubernatorial race has all the ingredients for a Democratic win, regardless of the candidates.

“It’s clearly going to be tough, but I don’t think it will be as tough as conventional wisdom says,” said Rubin, citing local anti-Trump sentiment and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s concurrent reelection campaign. “That’ll create a lot of excitement and enthusiasm that will get Democrats out to vote.”

Baker has remained popular and opposed many of Trump’s controversial policies, including the funding cuts for Planned Parenthood. But Democrats are betting that the Republican president will overshadow Baker’s run for re-election.

“We have a governor who didn’t even vote for the president of the United States. I mean, at least take a stand,” said the Democratic insider.

StafffilephotosbystuartCahill, left; angelarowlings, top; andChrisChristo, STANDING TALL: Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, left, will be a formidable opponent for whomever the Democrats nominate in 2018, say Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, top, and U.S. Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, above.