Marty Walsh says he will not run for Massachusetts governor

U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh said he will not run for governor of Massachusetts, putting an end to speculation that he was interested in succeeding Gov. Charlie Baker.

The former Boston mayor's announcement on CNN Thursday night came the same day that Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced her candidacy for governor.

"It was an honor to be mentioned as a governor," Walsh, a Democrat, said in the interview. "I love Massachusetts. I love my city of Boston, but I'm serving the people of the United States of America right now."

He says he wants to focus on his role as labor secretary. He alluded to his national priorities during an interview a few months after joining the Biden administration.

"There's no signal," Walsh had said. "I love my job here."

The Senate confirmed Walsh as labor secretary in March last year. Prior to that, he served as Boston's mayor since 2014.

Healey joins two other Democratic candidates for governor: Harvard professor Danielle Allen and state Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz. On the Republican side, former state representative Geoff Diehl is running.