BAKER: ‘I WASN’T INVITED’ BY RYAN

House Speaker toured Hub Thursday

Gov. Charlie Baker said he didn’t join U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan during his highly publicized visit to Lawrence this week because he “wasn’t invited.”

Baker’s absence from Ryan’s event, where he outlined his tax overhaul package at a New Balance factory, drew attention, especially as the governor has sought to distance himself from national Republicans on their biggest fight to date, health care.

But the Swampscott Republican said he didn’t go because no one asked him.

“There are a lot of people who come in and out of Massachusetts on a pretty regular basis who are not from Massachusetts who I never know are here and don’t get invited to whatever they do,” he said.

“To the best of my knowledge, I wasn’t invited to any of the stuff that was going on with Speaker Ryan,” he said.

Aides to Ryan did not address questions on Baker and referred comment to New Balance for “anything on invites.” Officials in the company’s media relations office did not return calls or emails last night.

Baker also sought to downplay the whole thing, saying there are political figures who come to the state “all the time” without touching base with him. “Unless I have some direct sort of project or announcement to make with them, I usually don’t know about it until after they leave,” he said.

Ryan was introduced at the event by New Balance owner Jim Davis, a Republican donor who has also given to Baker in the past. Davis gave max donations — then limited to $500 — to Baker three times, including in 2013 and 2014 during Baker’s successful gubernatorial run.

Baker’s absence didn’t stop the state Democratic Party from trying to link him to the national party’s attempts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Baker has criticized the proposals, saying the House bill could cost the state $1 billion by 2020.

“Instead of speaking out against Speaker Ryan’s cruel agenda that harms working families, Gov. Baker is trying to ignore Ryan’s visit to Massachusetts,” Gus Bickford, the state party chair, said.

STAFF PHOTOS, ABOVE, BY PATRICK WHITTEMORE; LEFT, BY NICOLAUS CZARNECKI NOT ON THE LIST: Gov. Charlie Baker, above, said he received no official invitation to join House Speaker Paul Ryan, left, on his tour of New Balance’s Lawrence plant.