Massachusetts AG Maura Healey Set To Run For Governor: Reports

BOSTON — The Boston Globe is reporting that Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey could enter the 2022 governor's race as early as Thursday.

The newspaper quoted anonymous state Democratic party leaders who spoke with Healey about her plans, and WBZ-TV political analyst Jon Keller reported an announcement was "imminent." A campaign spokesperson declined comment.

Republican Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is not running for reelection, and Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, also a Republican, said she would not enter the race. With a $3.6 million campaign war chest and high approval ratings, Healey would become the instant front-runner when she enters the race.

Democrats state Senator Sonia Chang-Díaz and Harvard professor Danielle Allen, and Republican Geoff Diehl, a former state representative, have already declared runs for governor. Healey's entry into the race would likely discourage other candidates, including U.S. Labor Secretary and former Boston mayor Marty Walsh, from entering.

If she runs and wins in November, Healey, 50, would become the first woman and first openly-gay person elected governor in Massachusetts. She was the nation's first, openly-gay attorney general when she was elected in 2014.

If she runs, Healey would be the first current statewide official to enter the race. She has widespread name recognition and a national fundraising network, the Globe noted.

For more on this story, see the Boston Globe.