Massachusetts Dems Sour On Chances To Challenge Charlie Baker in 2018: “The Governor Race Is An Afterthought”

Even with over 500 days to go until the 2018 Massachusetts gubernatorial election, Democrats are already souring on their chances of presenting a serious challenge to Republican Governor Charlie Baker. With polls showing Baker’s popularity at “record-breaking” levels, Democrat activists, leaders, and operatives quoted at the party’s state convention this past weekend showed little enthusiasm for the governor’s race, calling it an “afterthought” to Elizabeth Warren’s Senate re-election. Despite Massachusetts’ reputation as a heavily blue-state, Governor Baker’s results-driven, bipartisan leadership is leaving Democrats with little hope of unseating him, as the party’s candidates struggle to gain momentum.

The Boston Globe reports:

“As Massachusetts Democrats converge for their annual convention in Worcester this weekend, party leaders, activists, and operatives face a dispiriting challenge: blocking Governor Charlie Baker’s reelection in 2018…

What’s more, the governor’s consistent record-breaking popularity in opinion polls, unprecedented fund-raising prowess, and effective use of his bully pulpit on Beacon Hill have positioned him as an affable Republican moderate — and created serious political complications for Democrats, according to Globe interviews with longtime activists, leaders, and party operatives…

Another problem for gubernatorial contenders is the importance the party is expected to put on the US Senate race. Elizabeth Warren’s reelection is the party’s priority, particularly with national Republicans threatening to pour resources into Massachusetts next year to damage her national reputation. ‘She needs to be our No. 1 priority going into 2018,’ one of the state’s top Democrats said. ‘The governor race is an afterthought.’”