With the state primary election now concluded, the ballot for the state election in November has been set, providing voters with the opportunity to see how the candidates match up for the various offices.
Many of these contests feature either newcomers to the political scene or candidates for higher office who have not been widely known outside their smaller districts.
We hope that all of our readers will register to vote, listen to the candidates, and make informed choices when they go to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 6.
It is a cliché that every election matters, but the election of 2018 promises to have profound consequences for the future of our nation thanks to the chaos — and that is the only word to describe it — that is occurring in Washington, D.C.
That is why it is imperative that Massachusetts needs strong leaders at every level of government who are best-suited to guide us through what promises to be a rocky period both for our state and nation.
For that reason, it is our sincere belief that Gov. Charlie Baker should be re-elected to our state’s highest office.
The Democratic nominee, Jay Gonzalez, is a strong candidate by many measures.
But what we heard from Mr. Gonzalez on the campaign trail (and what we read on his web site) leaves us at a loss as to what he stands for vis a vis the past four years of leadership by Gov. Baker — and he certainly has not made the case for why voters should opt for a change from the status quo.
On the other hand, in our view there are three compelling reasons for voters to support Charlie Baker for re-election.
First and foremost, it is undeniable both that Massachusetts presently is amidst one of the most prosperous periods in our history and that the policies of the administration of Gov. Baker and Lt. Gov. KarynPolito have had a great deal to do with that.
The Baker administration has been forward-thinking on countless issues. Thanks to Cabinet appointees such as Jay Ash, the former City Manager of Chelsea (and a Democrat) as his Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Gov. Baker’s administration has been a dedicated partner and advocate of our local communities, inner cities and suburbs alike, which form the bedrock of our state. Our cities and towns have received unprecedented financial and other support from the state and have prospered in ways that could not have been imagined four years ago.
Second, unlike the turmoil that we see in Washington these days, our state’s political leaders have demonstrated that they can work together, no matter what the issue. Gov. Baker and Lt. Gov. Polito, together with House Speaker Bob DeLeo, are part and parcel of the harmony on Beacon Hill that is a stark contrast to what is happening in state houses across the country.
It is said that politics is the art of compromise. The recent Grand Bargain forged earlier this summer among the state’s political leaders is a testament to the progress that can be made when politicians on both sides of the aisle come together with the straightforward aim of making our state a better place for all of our citizens — and Gov. Baker was a driving factor in that effort.
Finally, there is a reason, beyond his administration’s policies, why Baker rates as the most popular governor in the nation among his constituents — and that is because the people of Massachusetts recognize that Charlie Baker is as decent, honest, and genuine a person as ever has served in our state’s highest office.
Charlie Baker stands with the vast majority of Massachusetts citizens on social issues, including the right of a woman to choose, and respects the differences that exist among all of us as individuals. Massachusetts always has been a shining beacon both in our country and worldwide on these and other issues and has continued to do so under the leadership of the Baker-Polito administration.
In our view, the best endorsement of Charlie Baker has come from those on the Republican fringe who have not endorsed him. Charlie Baker has governed on behalf of all the people, not just a select few.
Massachusetts, indeed our nation, needs leaders such as Charlie Baker who seek to bring us together.
We are proud to endorse Charlie Baker for a second term as governor.