What Everyone's Saying About Baker's Big Decision

BOSTON — Even though several candidates have already declared their intention to run for governor, the 2022 gubernatorial race kicked off in earnest Wednesday morning when Gov. Charlie Baker announced he will not seek re-election.

Baker's lengthy indecision — there's less than a year until the election — afforded opponents and those in the political arena plenty of time to think about life after Baker. Now we're hearing from them.

Related: Baker Scoffs At Any Trump Factor In Re-Election Decision

Former President Trump

"RINO Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has announced that, because I didn’t endorse him and he is incapable of getting the Republican nomination, he will not be running for reelection. He’s been very selfish, and is bad news for the Republican Party—actually, he shouldn’t even be considered a Republican. We wish him well!"

MassGOP Chair Jim Lyons

"We’re turning a new page here in Massachusetts. Our party remains committed to the America-First agenda advocated by President Donald J. Trump, and it’s clear to me that Charlie Baker was shaken by President Trump’s endorsement of another Republican candidate in Geoff Diehl.

Our party remains committed to the strong conservative values of freedom, individual liberty, and personal responsibility. We look forward to working with President Trump as we continue to rebuild the Massachusetts Republican Party."

Massachusetts Democratic Party Chair Gus Bickford

“The takeover of the MassGOP by the Donald Trump wing of the Republican Party is complete. Charlie Baker was pushed out of office by his own Party which has completely adopted the tactics and policies of Donald Trump. The MassGOP’s hand-picked candidate for Governor, Geoff Diehl, is a Trump loyalist whose extreme politics match the hate and divisiveness peddled by the national Republican Party.

Massachusetts Democrats have been and continue to be ready to take back the corner office in 2022. We are offering a vision for what Massachusetts should be, and how we can get there, together. Geoff Diehl and the Massachusetts Republican Party are offering chaos, division and policies that will drag our state back in time. We believe voters will choose progress in 2022."

Republican candidate Geoff Diehl

"I have a message to Massachusetts residents who are tired of the status quo: I will work hard every day to make our state a better place to live, work, and raise a family. I believe that starts by placing more emphasis on individual freedom and initiative. I will fight for people who need help. I’ll support struggling working families. I will oppose new taxes. I will support parents who don’t want government taking away their freedom to make choices about their child’s health care and curriculum. And, I’ll always have the back of first responders working to keep our streets safe, as well as the men and women of the armed forces who hail from Massachusetts and serve overseas protecting our freedoms."

Read the full statement here

Democratic candidate Ben Downing

"When I announced my candidacy in February, it wasn’t to run against Charlie Baker or any other specific candidate — it was because I was tired of watching Beacon Hill refuse to act with the urgency required to tackle the biggest challenges of our time.

Governor Baker’s decision to not run for re-election marks an opportunity to both upend the culture of complacency on Beacon Hill and elect leadership committed to delivering much-needed change to all 351 communities in Massachusetts."

Read his full statement here

Democrat Danielle Allen

"The announcement from Governor Baker and Lt. Governor Polito means status quo is not an option. This is both a challenge and an opportunity.

What do we want for our Commonwealth in five, ten, or fifty years? Will we learn from the lessons of the pandemic and provide the moral leadership to energize our commitments to one another across the whole state? Can we knit our diverse communities together? The time is here to reimagine ourselves as One Commonwealth."

Read her full statement here

Democrat Sonia Chang-Diaz

“The people of Massachusetts are ready for a new chapter with new leadership. For far too long, people in power have asked working families to wait for change — despite a growing affordable housing crisis, inaccessible and expensive child and health care, the existential threat of climate change, and long-standing racial injustice. In 2022, our next Governor must be someone willing to take on challenges even when they’re hard — who recognizes the urgency of this moment, who tackles these issues with the courage to solve them, and who has a record of winning bold, systemic change on Beacon Hill. I’m proud to be building a grassroots movement across age, class, and faith to put power back in the hands of the people and to elect a governor who's not afraid to fight for our values."

Attorney General Maura Healey, who will announce her intentions "soon"

"I really appreciate the tremendous service that Gov. Charlie Baker has offered and will continue to offer to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts."

See her full interview here.

Former Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone