Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) is facing an intensifying gubernatorial race with a two-way challenge from Republican Charles Baker and Independent Timothy Cahill.
A recent poll showed that 60 percent of people disapprove of the direction in which the state is heading, according to Rick Gorka, a spokesman for the Baker campaign.
Patrick was elected in 2006 in what Press Secretary for Patrick's campaign Alex Goldstein called "a grassroots movement."
In this election, Patrick is emphasizing the need to build on reforms made during his first term in office, according to Goldstein.
"The governor has been able to enact real and lasting reform," Goldstein told the Daily. "He has reformed ethics and lobbying laws, overhauled the state transportation system and signed education reform that makes students the top priority. He also enacted Massachusetts health care reform … 400,000 people are now covered that weren't previously."
Patrick is running on the premise that another term in office would allow him to further many of his reforms.
"There is still work to be done," Goldstein said, "and when it comes down to it, our campaign is really about finishing what we started."
As an incumbent, Goldstein said, Patrick is up against a nationwide dissatisfaction with the status quo that stems from the economic climate.
"One of the challenges that faces incumbents across the country is [that] the global economic collapse has really hammered people," Goldstein said. "A lot of [indicators] are showing that the Massachusetts economy is improving faster than the rest of the country."
While facing the governor is a challenge, the fact that the people of Massachusetts have indicated disapproval with Patrick's administration gives the Baker campaign an edge, according to Gorka.
"It's always an uphill battle when you're facing an incumbent," Gorka told the Daily. "[The poll] shows that the people in charge have run the state poorly, and we need a change of leadership."
Baker, the former president and CEO of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, has emphasized his record of fiscal responsibility and the need for a shift from the policies of the Patrick administration.
Taxes, spending and the economy are the three principle issues of the race, according to Gorka, and he emphasized Baker's experience in all three.
"[Baker is] the only candidate that has any credibility in these issues," Gorka said.
Gorka highlighted Baker's experience as Massachusetts secretary of administration and finance as essential to the race's main issues.
"[Baker] is the only man in this race that can reform state government so it runs efficiently and effectively," Gorka said.
Cahill faces difficulties as an independent candidate, according to Milli Feldman, a spokesperson for Cahill's campaign. An independent has yet to win a statewide election in Massachusetts, she added.
Cahill is the current Massachusetts treasurer.
"The major challenge is not having the backing of a major political party, and that includes the financial support and infrastructure," Feldman told the Daily.
However, Feldman believes that Cahill's experience as treasurer will outweigh the challenges of running as an independent.
"Having been in the state government, he's been able to build a huge grassroots organization with over 13,000 volunteers getting the vote out and being active in their communities," Feldman said.
She added that the campaign is optimistic about the continuation of Cahill's recent upward trends in the polls.
"You're going to see a shift," Feldman said. "One of the constants has been a positive favorability rating, and … hopefully by running a positive, issues-based campaign, and as he meets more people and gets his message out, we'll be able to keep those favorability ratings high."
Feldman agreed with Gorka that economic issues are among the primary concerns of voters in this election and emphasized that Cahill aims to balance spending with saving.
"One of the principle issues is the economy and getting the local communities back on track," she said. "Our primary goal is getting people back to work."
Gorka said that Baker views the recent victory of Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) as a sign of dissatisfaction with the existing financial management trends in Massachusetts.
"Scott Brown's election was definitely about fiscal responsibility, and we definitely see that as being a big theme in our race. [It was] primarily a rejection of the status quo," Gorka said. "People were angry … about explosive spending, and it's the same thing that's happening now on Beacon Hill."
Goldstein said that Patrick hopes to emulate the interactive nature of Brown's campaign.
"[Patrick] has a lot of respect for what Scott Brown did," Goldstein said. "This is a campaign that believes in that neighbor-to-neighbor, one-on-one contact. [Patrick] visited 22 events in 18 cities and towns over the kickoff weekend of the campaign. He has really been everywhere, in every corner of the state."
Feldman said that Cahill has also been drawing inspiration from the outcome of the Senate election.
"[After the Senate race], we've seen a strong surge in the use of the word ‘independent' and defining what ‘independent' means," Feldman said. "One of the benefits of being an Independent is that he's not beholden to a party or forced to adhere to the party's restrictions."
Lieutenant governors in Massachusetts are elected separately from the governor. Patrick is campaigning alongside current Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray, his running mate, and Baker chose State Sen. Richard Tisei as his partner. Cahill is running with Paul Loscocco, an attorney and former state representative.
State elections for governor and U.S. congressmen will be held Nov. 2.
