Karyn Polito Positioned as X-Factor in Tight MA Governor’s Race

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Nicholas Handy, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

Now that the field has been narrowed for the battle over who will succeed Governor Deval Patrick in Massachusetts, voters are beginning to take notice of the two campaigns to determine which candidate they would rather vote for.

While Martha Coakley will have a Democrat for Lt. Governor in Stephen Kerrigan on the ballot, they will not be working together to the degree that Charlie Baker and Karyn Polito have been for the past few months.

“Just like Tim Murray did for Deval Patrick, I think that Karyn Polito will have a major role in helping Charlie Baker connect to Central Massachusetts,” said Paul Giorgio, a longtime Democratic activist in Worcester. “I think that it is very important to win Central Massachusetts – Worcester specifically – for a gubernatorial campaign; I don’t think you can be the next governor without it.”

Many see Polito as a person that can help Charlie Baker in a tight race – which recent polls are projecting – by picking up a few extra voters in a few key demographical areas being a conservative women from Central Massachusetts.

Central Massachusetts

One of the biggest areas that Polito could help Baker’s campaign is in gathering interest and voters from Central Massachusetts.

While Central Massachusetts may not vote for Baker solely based on Karyn Polito’s Central Massachusetts ties – she was born in Shrewsbury and previously served as a selectman for Shrewsbury and a Representative for the 11th Worcester district – but her influence outside of Boston could definitely get some attention at the very least for the Baker campaign.

Can Polito pull any women voters from Coakley?

“Central Massachusetts is just like the rest of Massachusetts; we need to create more jobs at all levels,” said Polito, who also strives to help reconnect state and local politics and municipalities. “When I am talking with local families at my daughter’s field hockey games and elsewhere, this is what I am hearing is a priority. People really want an opportunity to get ahead; we want to build a better Massachusetts in all regions that reflects those wants and needs.”

Pulling Voters

When Polito was announced as Baker’s running mate, many speculated that she was brought in to help Baker garner more interest from Central Massachusetts residents and women: an area that Baker has struggled with in the past.

When facing Patrick in the 2010 election, Baker had lost largely in part to his 24-percent deficit among women voters.

In terms of Polito’s impact on Baker’s campaign, many don’t think that she will have a large effect on women voters; after all there are four women on the Democratic ballot in the November elections and people typically don’t look too much into the Lt. Governor when making their decision for governor. There are a few areas that Polito may be able to help in a tight race: Central Massachusetts and tea party voters.

“Baker knows that he needs to be able to gather more votes if he wants to take down Coakley in Massachusetts, which is predominantly Democrat,” said Mary Anne Marsh, a seasoned political operative with the Dewey Square Group in Boston. “Although she may have been brought in to pull some women voters or some Central Massachusetts voters, where she can really help Baker is in keeping Tea Party voters with the Baker campaign.”

Related Slideshow: MA’s Biggest Political Comebacks in History

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Congressman Jim McGovern

Lost first congressional run in 1994

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After his retirement, O’Neill published an autobiography in 1987 and was presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1991. He died in 1994 as the result of heart attack.

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35th President John F. Kennedy

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Former Senator Ted Kennedy

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After serving 18 years in the US Senate, Kennedy made his one and only bid for the presidency in 1980 and was defeated in the Democratic primary by incumbent President Jimmy Carter. Despite the tough loss, Kennedy would go on to serve in the US Senate until 2009, making him the fourth longest-serving senator in US history.

During his 47-year tenure, Kennedy played a major role in passing many laws that addressed health insurance, immigration, civil rights, education, and mental health benefits. He died of brain cancer in 2009.