Harvard Professor Danielle Allen Announces Run For Massachusetts Governor

CAMBRIDGE (CBS) -- Harvard University Professor Danielle Allen is officially running for governor of Massachusetts. Allen, a Democrat, made the announcement on Tuesday.

The 49-year-old is a political theorist and a recipient of the MacArthur Genius Grant. She is the first Black woman in state history to run for governor.

"I am announcing my run for governor to reimagine this Commonwealth," Allen said. "Imagine state government that in a crisis jumps in and activates all of our talents in response. Imagine one Commonwealth where those who are in power recognize their responsibility to the greater good and where those who feel powerless are reconnected to their own agency through communal action. That's what democracy is about: coming together, working together, learning together, deciding together, and acting together."

So far, the only other candidate who has officially declared is former state senator Ben Downing. Downing, a Democrat, left politics after a decade on Beacon Hill to work for a renewable energy company. He is a graduate of Tufts University.

Governor Charlie Baker has not decided yet if he will run for a third term.