Rivals let fly at debate
Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Jay Gonzalez tried to paint Gov. Charlie Baker as a conservative enabler in last night’s debate — while the famously left-friendly GOP governor dashed to embrace liberal advocacy groups. “You’re putting loyalty to the Republican Party above your commitment to these values,” Gonzalez said, contrasting Baker’s support for gun control to his backing of Republican candidates. “I have a D rating from the NRA,” Baker bragged, later touting support from the liberal organizations Planned Parenthood and Everytown for Gun Safety. “I’ll put my track record on these issues against anybody.” Gonzalez continued to bash on the governor for saying he’d vote the party-line ticket — such as the conservative candidates for attorney general and U.S. Senate in liberal Massachusetts. “I said at the very beginning of the campaign — months and months ago — that I would support the ticket, and I’m going to honor my word on that,” Baker said. “When Gov. Baker says he’s ‘supporting the ticket,’ he doesn’t use this word: he’s supporting the Republican ticket,” Gonzalez answered. “You can’t have it both ways.” The two also bickered over infrastructure investment, with Gonzalez touting major investments he says would be funded by significant tax hikes to the wealthy and universities. But Baker slammed his opponent as “dishonest,” saying the Democrat was reaching for pies in the sky when he advocates for the NorthSouth Rail Link and other major new proposals. “He has no capacity to pay for those,” Baker said. “It’s so dishonest to the people.” Baker brought up the $8 billion in transportation investments his administration has secured and said, “Our plan is real and it’s specific and it’s detailed.” Gonzalez continued to focus on what he would do with money he would bring in through higher taxes. “It is $3 billion more than zero, which is his plan,” Gonzalez said. “This is not the time to lower expectations — it’s to raise them.” Election day is Tuesday, and polls have shown the popular Baker ahead by wide margins.