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Mass. GOP Backs Baker For Bid For Governor

Republican Charles Baker muscled challenger Christy Mihos from the primary field in the preliminary convention delegate count Saturday, appearing to seize his party’s nomination to challenge Gov. Deval Patrick and wrest the Corner Office back for the state’s newly optimistic GOP.

With vote-rustling help from U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, former Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, and other party heavyweights, Baker nailed down 89 percent of the vote, and stifled Mihos to just above 11 percent, about 125 delegates short of the support Mihos needed. An unofficial count showed Baker with 2,559 delegates to Mihos’s 318.

Baker’s apparent clearing of the primary field frees him from what could have been a troublesome, months-long feud that Republicans worried could have sapped resources as he tries to catch Patrick.

Baker said a second Patrick term would result in "four more years of drift, overspending, tax hikes, and one party rule on Beacon Hill."

This is not a complicated race,” Baker said. “The choices are clear. If you like more out of control state spending, then vote for Deval Patrick. He’s your guy. If you believe state government doesn’t need serious reform, but more patronage and insider deals, then vote for Tim Cahill. Cahill was asked the other day what he would do to cut the budget and reform state government. And after eight years as state treasurer, he said he didn’t know."

Unenrolled Treasurer Timothy Cahill, whose pro-fiscal conservatism message cuts into Baker’s hopes to engage Patrick directly, stood with supporters outside the DCU Center in a light rain, questioning Baker’s credentials by citing 200 percent premium increases during Baker’s presidency at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care.

This program aired on April 17, 2010. The audio for this program is not available.

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