UPDATED: November 3, 2014, at 2:42 p.m.

Undoubtedly, Republican Charlie Baker ’79 has run a stronger campaign for governor this November than he did in 2010. He has pitched himself as a moderate Republican with experience as an effective manager, and he has proposed a raft of ideas and reforms that are more specific and targeted than those proposed by his Democratic opponent, Attorney General Martha Coakley. Yet this election is about more than the candidates themselves. In some ways, it is a referendum Governor Deval L. Patrick ’78’s administration, under whose leadership Massachusetts’ economy and education system have surged to among the best in the country. Despite her failings as a candidate, Coakley is more likely to support and extend Governor Patrick’s successes.

Martha Coakley's ability to connect to the public has been an ongoing problem. Although she has made great progress since her infamously lackluster campaign for Senate four years ago, she still has work to do. She should also make clear once in office that she will govern the Commonwealth as an executive and a representative of all Massachusetts residents, not merely as a bureaucrat. Coakley would also do well to emulate Baker’s managerial mindset and focus on specific policy initiatives.

Baker’s progressive stances on social issues distract from his fiscal conservatism. In his failed 2010 campaign for governor he took a pledge to not raise taxes under any circumstances. His interest in cutting benefits to welfare recipients is worrying, given that homelessness is also a growing problem in the Commonwealth. And the role that many supporters might foresee for him—a sort of foil to an overwhelmingly Democratic legislature—is likely overblown. Working together with Republicans and conservative Democrats, Baker’s general unwillingness to raise taxes and his desire to cut income taxes to five percent would likely undercut important government functions, especially public transportation, job creation initiatives, and Governor Patrick’s generally successful efforts to better fund public schools.

Coakley has been a reliable advocate for children and families, and as Attorney General she has served as an effective champion for victims of domestic violence. She will continue Governor Patrick’s push to make Massachusetts a national leader in alternative energy production. Coakley will also lead the state’s schools to continued success by expanding high quality pre-K to all children, funding student support counselors, and increasing access to community colleges.

Martha Coakley is an unremarkable candidate. But she stands for a solid platform of reforms and policies designed to extend the successes of the Patrick administration. Of the several imperfect candidates on Tuesday’s ballot, Coakley is the Bay State’s best option for its next four years.

 

CLARIFICATION: November 3, 2014

An earlier version of this article did not denote Charlie Baker as a Harvard College graduate. He is a member of the Class of 1979.