REPUBLICAN GOV. CHARLIE BAKER said during a debate Wednesday night with Democrat Jay Gonzalez that he hadn’t made up his mind whether he would vote for Trump supporter Geoff Diehl for US Senate even though he has publicly endorsed him. After the debate, he said he misspoke and would vote for Diehl.
The bizarre debate exchange came when Gonzalez asked Baker directly if he intended to vote for Diehl next month Baker didn’t immediately respond, and had to be prompted by WGBH moderator Jim Braude.
Baker said he would vote for himself, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, and others. “I don’t know what I’m going to do yet with respect to that one,” he said, referring to Diehl’s race against US Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
“You don’t know if you’re going to vote for the guy you endorsed?” Braude asked.
“I haven’t made a decision,” Baker said.
Gonzalez then chimed in, noting the governor was asking people to vote for Diehl even though he wasn’t sure he was going to vote for him. Diehl ran Trump’s campaign in Massachusetts and is a strong supporter of the president, who polls poorly in Massachusetts.
“I said I was going to support the ticket and I do,” Baker said. “I’ll make that decision eventually and I’ll let people know.”
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About Bruce Mohl
Bruce Mohl is the editor of CommonWealth magazine. Bruce came to CommonWealth from the Boston Globe, where he spent nearly 30 years in a wide variety of positions covering business and politics. He covered the Massachusetts State House and served as the Globe’s State House bureau chief in the late 1980s. He also reported for the Globe’s Spotlight Team, winning a Loeb award in 1992 for coverage of conflicts of interest in the state’s pension system. He served as the Globe’s political editor in 1994 and went on to cover consumer issues for the newspaper. At CommonWealth, Bruce helped launch the magazine’s website and has written about a wide range of issues with a special focus on politics, tax policy, energy, and gambling. Bruce is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He lives in Dorchester.
About Bruce Mohl
Bruce Mohl is the editor of CommonWealth magazine. Bruce came to CommonWealth from the Boston Globe, where he spent nearly 30 years in a wide variety of positions covering business and politics. He covered the Massachusetts State House and served as the Globe’s State House bureau chief in the late 1980s. He also reported for the Globe’s Spotlight Team, winning a Loeb award in 1992 for coverage of conflicts of interest in the state’s pension system. He served as the Globe’s political editor in 1994 and went on to cover consumer issues for the newspaper. At CommonWealth, Bruce helped launch the magazine’s website and has written about a wide range of issues with a special focus on politics, tax policy, energy, and gambling. Bruce is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He lives in Dorchester.
After the debate, Baker said he had misspoke and would vote for Diehl.
Prior to Gonzalez’s debate question, Baker said he pledged to support the entire GOP ticket because “a lot of people in the party were concerned I would play favorites.” He minimized his backing of Diehl, saying people know where he stands in regard to Trump. “What I worry about are things I can fundamentally control,” he said.
