NEW: Patrick Has “Mixed Feelings” About Murray’s Decision
Friday, January 18, 2013
Murray said that his decision was personal, and did not discuss future political ambitions.
After holding several fundraisers in late 2012, Murray released a statement Friday, saying, "[A]s I contemplate the commitment required over the next 20 months (and the following four years as Governor) and weigh that against my obligations and responsibilities to my young family, I have decided that I will not be a candidate for Governor in the 2014 election cycle. Nor will I be a candidate for any other statewide office in 2014."
Patrick said that while the administration’s plan for the future was the primary reason for the meeting, “We also come here with mixed feelings.”
“The Lieutenant Governor has an announcement which you have heard, and I have heard in the last day or so, and because I so respect his judgment, his evident love for his family, and his maturity in putting his family above his political ambitions – I have mixed feelings,” he said.
Patrick added that had Murray decided to run for Governor in 2014, “I was all in.”
"He has done so much for the Worcester Country area, and the whole Commonwealth,” he said, citing Murray’s knowledge of local issues that made their administration better.
“Politicians Have Families, Too”
Following a lengthy applause, Murray discussed the administration’s push to move forward, but did not discuss his decision.
U.S. Congressman Jim McGovern also spoke at the event, and said he would like to remind everyone that “Politicians have families, too, and we love our families, too. I respect his decision.”
McGovern also said he had “mixed feelings” about Murray’s move, saying, “I was confident we would win a primary and the governorship. He would have been an incredible governor, and I still believe some day he will be an incredible governor. I never met a public servant who has worked as hard as Tim Murray.”
He said that he would support Murray in any of his future decisions.
“It’s difficult to say to children ‘See you in two years. And if I win, see you in four years,’” he said. “A reporter asked me, ‘Tim says he wants to spend more time with his family. Do you believe him?’ and the answer is absolutely ‘yes.’ Politicians have families, too.”
Earlier today, Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty released a Facebook comment regarding Murray’s decision, saying, “Since I first served with Tim Murray on the Worcester City Council in 1997, I have always admired his selfless dedication to public service.
“With today’s announcement, I am proud of his decision to place his family first. Over the next two years I look forward to working with him to continue to make Worcester and the entire Commonwealth a better place,” Petty said. “I know whatever the future has in store for him will be bright and he will always have my full support.”
Moving Forward
Patrick and Murray discussed at length the necessary future steps that will be taken to fill gaps and move forward out of the recession.
“Constant improvement is a part of any successful institution and certainly in government, and I hope you see it in this administration,” he said.
Transportation was a central focus in their briefing, and Murray said that debt created by the Big Dig “is one overhang that we must stop complaining about and deal with.”
“The Big Dig went on for many, many years, and it drained off investments in transportation in central Massachusetts and in western Massachusetts,” Patrick said. “And we have not done what we must in every corner of the Commonwealth for a long, long time now. We understand clearly that we serve the entire state.”
Patrick highlighted the importance of “catching up with needed investments in other parts of the Commonwealth,” saying “Lost opportunities is something we must deal with.”
“We spent a lot of time in Worcester and other parts of the Commonwealth hearing the needs and wants and what’s missing in different parts of the state so we can be of service to you,” he said. “We have growth strategy in this Commonwealth and invested in infrastructure, but we must accelerate that growth with investments in transportation and education.
Murray agreed, saying “We’ve got work to do.”
“We are here to continue to move the agenda. There’s still more work to be done, and it’s fitting we’re in Worcester. This work can be seen through collaborations between different levels of government with education partners and businesses, community colleges, where we are working to come together and focus on that agenda.”
Murray said that this “cross-pollination” is the reason why Worcester is doing well and why Massachusetts is coming out strong from the recession. He said that this cabinet meeting is part of a series of meetings across the state to talk about education, transportation, and an agenda to reinvest.
“As the Governor talked about, we are collectively rounding the second term, so we continue to push, and that’s what this agenda is about, and we had a cabinet meeting about that,” Murray said. “We’ve been saying for some time that we need to have an adult conversation about the needs of our transportation system. We know from our success in education and support coming from our communities that our students are achieving at record levels, but we still have gaps.”
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