State Election Roundup 2014
 Republican Charlie Baker didn't find a lot of support in here in his successful bid for governor against a Berkshire native but he still made a few trips west to meet with voters. |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The state elected a new governor in 2014.
Republican Charlie Baker found little traction in the Berkshires but corralled more than enough votes in the eastern end of the state win the governor's office.
Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick opted not to run for re-election, opening the door to a crowded Democratic primary and a hard-fought election. The Berkshires saw most of the election action leading into the Democratic primary that saw North Adams' Martha Coakley come out on top.
The Democrats started with five candidates — Berkshire native and Attorney General Coakley, former Medicare chief Donald Berwick, former homeland security undersecretary Juliette Kayyem, bio-tech businessman Joseph Avellone, and Treasurer Steven Grossman.
Kayyem and Avellone both made pushes early in the campaign but were unable to secure enough delegates to move past the Democratic convention. Coakley, Grossman and Berwick battled it out for a few more months with Coakley eking out the primary victory, becoming the party's candidate. She was joined by Steve Kerrigan, who won the party's nomination for lieutenant governor over Mike Lake and Leland Cheung.
The Republicans didn't have a primary race. Charlie Baker teamed up with lieutenant governor candidate Karyn Polito and the two won the general election.
A total of five candidates were in the general election. Coakley and Baker were joined by independents Scott Lively and Jeffrey McCormick, and Evan Falchuk. Falchuk headed the formation of a new party — United Independent — and received the minimum 3 percent needed for United Independent to be officially recognized by the state as a political party.
In other races, Maura Healey first won a Democratic primary over Warren Tolman and then went on to beat Republican John Miller for attorney general. Democrat Deb Goldberg won a primary over Barry Finegold and Thomas Conroy for treasurer and then defeated Republican Mike Heffernan and Green Rainbow party's Ian Jackson in the general election. Democrat and incumbent Suzanne Bump of Great Barrington defeated Republican Patricia Saint Aubin and Green Rainbow party's M.K. Merelice for auditor. Democrat and incumbent William Galvin beat Republican David D'Arcangelo and Green Rainbow's Danny Factor for secretary of the commonwealth.
Voters also shot down a question to expand the bottle deposit to water and sports drinks bottles and a question to repeal the already passed laws allowing casinos. Voters approved questions to link the gas tax to inflation and to require employees be paid sick days.
Locally, all five of the county's state officials ran unopposed.
Tags: election 2014, year in review,
