Coakley First To Submit Signatures For Governor

BOSTON (AP) — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Martha Coakley has turned in more than 13,000 certified nomination signatures to earn a spot on the September primary ballot.

The attorney general and members of her campaign staff submitted boxes of signatures to the Secretary of State on Wednesday, making her the first candidate hoping to succeed Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick to do so.

Candidates must submit at least 10,000 signatures by June 3 to qualify for the ballot.

Coakley suffered a stinging defeat to Republican Scott Brown in a 2010 special election for the U.S. Senate. While recent polls have suggested she's the front-runner among five Democrats seeking their party's gubernatorial nomination, she says she's taking nothing for granted.

The Democrats also need support from at least 15 percent of delegates to next month's state party convention to qualify.

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