A day after making history by becoming the first woman elected governor of Massachusetts, Attorney General Maura Healey visited with outgoing Governor Charlie Baker today.
The theme of Wednesday’s warm Beacon Hill press conference was cooperation, as two-term Republican Governor Charlie Baker and Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito welcomed their Democratic successors to a transition meeting.
Governor-elect Maura Healey won a resounding victory over former state Rep. Geoff Diehl and quickly named her running mate, Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll, to oversee the transition.
After a closed-door meeting with Baker and Polito, Healey said the first two-woman ticket ever to win a gubernatorial election in America is ready to get to work:
“People have given us a mandate not just to act but to deliver results. And we have said for a long time that we will be a team that is focused on getting results, delivering for people, getting things done,” Healey said. “We know the times, the urgency of the times, demand that and that's what today is about. We’ve just come from an incredibly productive meeting with Governor Baker and Lieutenant Governor Polito. I thank them for that. I thank them for the invitation to be here today to show what is so important in our system with elections and the transfer of power and to model that.”
Baker would not say if he voted for Healey Tuesday, but his preference in the race was not a secret as his brand of moderate Republicanism and the state party diverged sharply over former President Donald Trump.
Having experienced it himself in the first days of his administration in 2015, Baker says mastering the state’s winter weather response will be vital for the Healey administration. He was asked about his advice for Healey.
“The one thing both the Lieutenant Governor and I shared with the Governor and Lieutenant Governor-elect is, to get out of the building and spend time with the people in Massachusetts. I consider that to be the greatest gift that I've been given certainly over this last eight years,” he said.
In remarks carried by WBZ, Polito paused to celebrate the historic nature of the Healey-Driscoll victory.
“I also just want to say, I feel very grateful that we have, once again, have a historic moment with two women leading in these positions. That is very important for women and girls to know that their voices matter, and to be able to see themselves in positions of leadership like this,” Polito said.
As she sets up a transition apparatus that includes a webpage and a request for resumes, Healey may start with a leg up after eight years as attorney general. Driscoll says ramping up the administration will be a major undertaking.
“I'm really grateful to Gov.-elect Maura Healey for her willingness to allow me to be in this role leading up this transition, and know that we'll be forming transition policy committees in the coming days and weeks to help advise our administration on the many issues we face,” she said.
Healey says she expects conversations with Baker to continue.
Meantime, in Connecticut, Democratic Governor Ned Lamont was elected to a second term Tuesday by defeating Republican Bob Stefanowski for the second straight election. He addressed supporters in Hartford Wednesday.
“I said probably 200 times, I don’t want more taxes, but I don’t mind more taxpayers. And I hope everybody got my message on that,” Lamont said.
