Mass GOP Picks Baker for Governor Race

Massachusetts Republicans on Saturday night gave their overwhelming support to Charlie Baker to be their gubernatorial candidate, The Boston Globe reports.

Baker, who is in favor of marriage equality and who selected gay state senator Richard Tisei as his running mate, won 89% of the vote at the state convention. His rival, Christy Mihos, received only 11%. Mihos needed at least 15% to force a primary election.

The 53-year-old former health insurance executive and cabinet official in the Weld and Cellucci administrations will now face Gov. Deval Patrick, a Democrat, and state treasurer Timothy P. Cahill, a former Democrat running as an independent, in the general election in November.

The Globe reports that social conservatives tried to derail Baker's candidacy by flooding delegates with a leaflet attacking a bill for transgender rights that was cosponsored by Tisei. Suggesting that the bill would allow men to enter women's restrooms, they demanded to know whether Baker supported it.

At a press conference after the endorsement, Baker stood next to Tisei and said he didn't support his running mate's legislation and that he was not concerned about labeling it "the bathroom bill" -- a term used by other opponents of the legislation.

"I think a guy who supports gay marriage and is pro-choice and has been pretty clear on those and picked a gay fella as his running mate is pretty much not pandering to much of anybody," he said.

Read the full Globe story here.