Historic Choices In Massachusetts

Massachusetts voters face a historic choice on Nov. 7 that could result in the state's first black or its first female elected governor, after the primary campaign whittled the major party candidates to Democrat Deval Patrick and Republican Kerry Healey.

Healey and Patrick showed from their acceptance speeches on Tuesday that theirs will not only be an epic contest, but also a high-octane one as well.

Each is looking to succeed Republican Gov. Mitt Romney, who opted not to seek a second term as he considers a run for president. Although the Democratic Party remains dominant in Massachusetts, it has not held the governor's office since 1991, when Michael S. Dukakis finished his term.

On Wednesday, Healey released a 50-page position book outlining her priorities and highlighting the differences with Patrick. "We have a lot of big ideas about how to make Massachusetts a better place to live, and we have some small ones, too," she said.

Patrick got an early jump on the first full day of the general election campaign Wednesday, greeting commuters at the Back Bay MBTA station and posing for photographs with his supporters. He reiterated the message of his victory speech, saying he's an outsider who wants to change 16 years of Republican control of the governor's office.

"Make no mistake: This election is about whether we want more of all that, or lasting and meaningful change instead, about spinning our wheels or aiming high, about government by sound bites and slogans or leadership that strives to serve our long-term interests in stronger, safer and more prosperous communities," Patrick, a former Clinton administration official, told a cheering crowd of supporters Tuesday night.

Healey told her enthusiastic backers: "Beginning tonight, the choice facing voters in November finally comes into focus. This election will bring change to Massachusetts — but what kind of change? We will have an option: Will we have two-party democracy and balance on Beacon Hill or go back to a time when the people's business was done behind closed doors."

She added: "Deval Patrick's prescription of higher taxes, more spending and weaker criminal justice laws are just the type of change we can't afford to make and a risk we cannot take."

Patrick, 50, ran the Justice Department's civil rights division under President Clinton. He will be paired with Worcester Mayor Tim Murray, who won a three-way primary for the No. 2 spot as the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor.

Patrick beat rivals Chris Gabrieli and Tom Reilly with 50 percent of the vote, despite making his first run for elective office.

With 98 percent of the precincts reporting, Patrick had 49 percent, or 442,500 votes. Gabrieli posted 27 percent, or 243,852 votes, while Reilly finished third with 23 percent, or 207,433 votes.

A key factor in Patrick's victory seems to have been the field organization that he and his staff built, the Boston Globe reported. It used the Internet to organize supporters and to raise more than $1 million in campaign donations. His political base included 8,000 volunteers across the state, many of them new to politics, and a field organization that identified more than 100,000 committed Patrick voters, the Globe said.

Healey, 46, the state's incumbent lieutenant governor, was unopposed in her primary. She will run on a ticket with former Rep. Reed Hillman, who also was unopposed.

In her nomination acceptance speech, Healey sought to portray herself as a counterweight to the Democratic Legislature, the argument her fellow Republicans have used repeatedly since their string of gubernatorial victories began in 1990.

"I will fight to provide more public school choice by lifting the cap on charter schools, and will fight to stop cold any effort to weaken MCAS. I will fight for merit pay for the best teachers, and to give parents more information on how well their kids are learning," Healey said. "These priorities aren't welcomed by the status quo on Beacon Hill, and that's why I'm convinced they're not only needed, they're necessary."

In his acceptance speech, Patrick declared: "I don't have all the answers; no candidate does. But I do bring a broader range of leadership experience in government, in business and non-profits and community groups than any other candidate in this race."

He also offered a quick retort to his leading rival, saying: "Kerry Healey was gracious when she called me this evening. But Kerry Healey, if the best you have is what divides us, let me tell you something, I heard from the grass roots all over the commonwealth: We have had enough of that."