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Gov. Baker won’t confirm whether he’s seeking a third term
"I’m focused on the job I’ve got, and that’s been where I’ve been spending my time."
Though Governor Charlie Baker previously hinted at an announcement after Labor Day, he seemingly still hasn’t made up his mind on whether he’ll seek a third term.
On Sunday morning, WCVB “On The Record” hosts Ed Harding and Janet Wu pressed Baker on his plans for the future
“Well, as I’ve said before, I’m focused on the job I’ve got,” Baker said, “and that’s been where I’ve been spending my time.”
Baker’s term expires in 2022, and if he chooses to run he will face challengers from the Republican and Democratic parties. Geoff Diehl, a former Republican state representative, has already declared a run, as have three Democrats: State Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz, former state senator Benjamin Downing, and Harvard political science professor Danielle Allen.
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In October, GBH Radio host Jim Braude reminded Baker he’d promised a decision after Labor Day, to which Baker responded that it was after Labor Day and a call would be coming soon. The decision, he said, was “a very complicated issue … for all kinds of reasons.”
“Let’s put it this way: Anybody who makes a decision about something like this without thinking really hard about it isn’t doing themselves, their families, or the communities they want to serve any favors because you’re signing up for something that is hugely important,” Baker said. “And it comes with an enormous amount of opportunity, and at the same time, tremendous challenges, many of which you don’t get to know about in advance.”
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Baker’s intentions may remain unspoken, but there are a couple of facts to consider. At the end of October, he reported having $684,091 in campaign funds, a fraction of the $6.9 million he had at this point in 2017 when he was already seeking reelection, according to the Office of Campaign and Political Finance. The Boston Globe reported in September, however, that Baker had begun to return to some fundraising events.
Though there have been rifts between Baker and the Massachusetts Republican party — and he would run as a Republican — many are encouraging Baker to seek a third term. In September, the Globe reported on a “hype squad of prominent business leaders” encouraging the governor to run again.
Asked about his support for a Baker reelection bid, Suffolk Construction CEO John Fish told the Globe it was “unconditional” and “one hundred percent.”
“I want to put the best players on the field. And I do believe Charlie Baker is the best player to govern the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” Fish said.
Karen Kaplan, CEO of advertising agency Hill Holliday, and Bob Reynolds, CEO of Putnam Investments, also expressed their emphatic support.
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“I would definitely like to see him run,” Reynolds told the Globe. “Everyone I’ve talked to would be in total agreement with that.”
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