Baker mum on third term
Admits he’ll have to decide at some point
Gov. Charlie Baker continued to dodge questions around reelection during a televised appearance on Sunday even as he acknowledged he’ll “have to make a decision at some point.”
“I’ve been pretty focused on COVID for the better part of the past year and until we see a lot more progress on vaccinations and a lot more progress on what I would call sort of recovery generally, that’s going to be my focus,” Baker said on WCVB’s “On the Record.”
“What the people of Massachusetts want us focused on is getting them vaccinated and helping those who can’t get back to work get back to work,” the Republican governor said.
But while Baker continues to sit on his hands, the field around him continues to heat up.
Attorney General Maura Healey continued to make appearances at events not directly related to her duties as the state’s top cop this weekend, appearing in Quincy on Saturday at a vaccination site and later at a fight Asian hate rally.
The Democratic AG has been barnstorming the state even as she has repeatedly shrugged off questions about a rumored run for governor. The Quincy appearances follow a trip to Worcester last month that included stops at eight different community events. During a trip to Brockton she made six stops.
Healey has the most campaign cash of any statewide candidate, with $3 million banked. The AG’s fundraising efforts are heating up too — she raised a whopping $102,762 in March — her secondhighest monthly haul since October 2018.
Baker’s own fundraising efforts were written off as “anemic” by the Democratic Governor’s Association. He raised $25,456 in March and has $561,253 on hand, according to state finance data.
Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito continued to outpace her boss last month, raking in $64,576 in March, with more $2 million in the bank.
Newcomers to the gubernatorial race — Democrats former state Sen. Benjamin Downing and Harvard University political science professor Danielle Allen, who said she’s still exploring the idea of running — brought in the most donations and are neckand-neck when it comes to fundraising, but still lag behind when it comes to cash on hand.
Lowell Republican Darius Mitchell, who filed paperwork with the state as a candidate for governor, had no fundraising reports on file. Quincy Democrat Scott Khourie continued to show zilch in fundraising, besides $20 he loaned himself. New filer Shrewsbury Democrat Orlando Silva showed one cent on his March report.