The five Democratic candidates for governor of Massachusetts all agree the state is on the right track but admit there are problems within Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration that need to be fixed. That message resounded through a 90-minute debate Tuesday.
State Attorney General Martha Coakley, state Treasurer Steve Grossman, biotech executive Joe Avellone, former federal health care administrator Don Berwick and homeland security expert Juliette Kayyem met in the debate sponsored by the Boston Herald and Suffolk University.
In an unusual twist, the debate included videotaped questions from other candidates including Republican Charlie Baker.
“And if you don’t think it’s headed in the right direction, what you would propose to do differently than the Patrick administration?” asked Baker in the recorded message.
The Democratic state convention starts Friday in Worcester. The candidates need to get at least 15 percent of the delegates to qualify for the September primary ballot.
