BOSTON – Gov. Charlie Baker, a moderate Republican popular with voters in heavily Democratic Massachusetts, has been re-elected to a second four-year term.
Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito turned back a challenge Tuesday from Democrat Jay Gonzalez, a former state budget official, and his running mate, Quentin Palfrey.
Baker touted the state’s strong economy and low unemployment, his administration’s progress in stabilizing the state’s finances without broad tax increases, and steps taken to tackle the opioid addiction crisis.
He has been a frequent critic of President Donald Trump, who is unpopular in Massachusetts. But Gonzalez criticized Baker for endorsing other pro-Trump Republicans, including U.S. Senate candidate Geoff Diehl.
“And to the people of Massachusetts – the folks we have been talking to, listening to, and learning from for the past four years – thank you. For everything. Your creativity. Your spirit. Your commitment to your communities, the common good, and to one another is what really makes this great state sing,” Baker told supporters in his victory speech.
“You told us to focus on the work – not the noise. To work across the aisle. To chase the best ideas wherever they come from. And to find common ground. To fix the stuff that’s broken, especially the difficult and messy stuff. To treat your money like it was ours and to make sure government works for those that need it most,” he said.
Gonzalez called for $3 billion in new taxes to improve education and transportation, and supported a single-payer health care system.
“To stand with each of you and work every day to make this Commonwealth stronger…to make our future brighter…and to lead a state government that is worthy of the truly special people who call this place home. We have come so far in these last four years – but friends, there is more to do,” said Polito.
“And I’ll tell you right now, if you like what you’ve seen over the past four years…you ain’t seen nothing yet.”
Democrat Suzanne Bump will return for a third term as state auditor after defeating Republican Helen Brady and two other candidates.
Bump says her office has worked hard to root out government waste and inefficiency.
She has also been criticized at times, such as in September when Republican Gov. Charlie Baker challenged her office’s conclusion that the Registry of Motor Vehicles had issued more than 1,900 drivers’ licenses under the names of dead people.
Brady is the business manager for the Boston Pops and has worked for the Boston Symphony Orchestra for 30 years. She said during the campaign that the auditor can do much more to identify wasteful spending.
Libertarian Daniel Fishman and Edward Stamas of the Green-Rainbow party were also on Tuesday’s ballot.
Democrat Deb Goldberg has won a second four-year term as state treasurer in Massachusetts.
Goldberg defeated Republican state Rep. Keiko Orrall (KAY’-koh ORR’-ell) in Tuesday’s voting.
The treasurer oversees the state lottery and state pension fund, among other responsibilities.
Orrall is a former Republican National Committeewoman from Lakeville and was the first Asian-American woman to run for statewide office in Massachusetts. She criticized the incumbent’s handling of the treasurer’s unclaimed property division, saying Goldberg hadn’t done enough to reunite residents with forgotten bank accounts and other abandoned assets.
Goldberg responded that Massachusetts was returning more unclaimed property than any other state.
Jamie Guerin of the Green-Rainbow party was also on the ballot.
Democratic Secretary of State William Galvin, the longest serving statewide elected official in Massachusetts, has won a seventh four-year term by brushing back a challenge from Republican Anthony Amore.
The two split on several issues, including whether Massachusetts should adopt same-day voter registration.
Galvin said he supports the change. Amore opposed the proposal, saying he wasn’t convinced it could be done securely.
Galvin argued Amore was following what he called a national Republican playbook of making it harder for people to vote, something Amore denied.
The contest was bitter at times, with Amore calling Galvin “a liar” and Galvin calling Amore “a faker” during one debate.
Galvin was first elected to the post in 1994.
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