Former state Senator Ben Downing has dropped out of the race for governor. The East Boston Democrat says he doesn't have the financial resources needed for the campaign. In a statement he said:
"Just as my work and my responsibility as a citizen did not end when I term limited myself in the Senate, the work of this campaign does not end today. Though my name will not be on the ballot next year, I will keep working for the principles that defined this campaign. Massachusetts is prosperous, but we must ask “for whom?” and reckon with the reality that the answer is for far too few. Massachusetts is innovative, but we must ask “to what end?” and reckon with the fact that we are falling far short on the defining issues of this generation-most notably the climate crisis. We have everything we need to solve the big problems facing us. It is not a single political party that stands in the way, but a culture of complacency that too often prioritizes the comfort of those in power over addressing the challenges of those in need. Until that dynamic changes, our work is not done and you’ll find me standing shoulder to shoulder with anyone striving to build a Massachusetts that works for everyone, everywhere."
There's speculation that Attorney General Maura Healey and/or U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh may run. Republican Governor Charlie Baker and Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito are not going to seek a third term.
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