Allen drops out of Massachusetts governor's race

Harvard professor Danielle Allen announced Tuesday she is dropping out of the race for Massachusetts governor.

In a statement, the Democrat said the way elections are run in the state makes it too hard for non-traditional candidates to qualify to be on the ballot.

"Through both simple math in a winner-takes-all process, and limited engagement access for the broader Democratic electorate, the current ballot access procedure through the current caucus system is leading to a serious impoverishment of our democracy — fewer choices on the ballot, fewer non-traditional candidates able to enter the pipeline," Allen said in her statement. "In Massachusetts, where we pride ourselves on being the birthplace of democracy, there is no excuse for ballot access procedures that push out qualified but non-traditional candidates and rob the people of Massachusetts of real choice on their ballot. As I reflect on my next steps for civic engagement, working on democratic reform in this area will be a priority for me."

Allen's departure leaves Attorney General Maura Healey and state Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz as candidates in the Democratic primary. Republicans Geoff Diehl and Chris Doughty have also announced runs for the executive office.