A moderate who has kept his distance from the controversies of the national Republican Party and cast himself as a thrifty and thoughtful manager, Baker would have entered the race as its front-runner. His decision, expected to be announced Wednesday, means he will forgo a shot at history: No Massachusetts governor has served three consecutive four-year terms…
On the Republican side, conservative Geoff Diehl, a former state lawmaker who lost a Senate bid to Elizabeth Warren in 2018 and has been critical of the governor, declared well before Baker’s decision.
Diehl has support in more conservative pockets of the party, and the endorsement of Trump, but even if he secures the GOP nomination, he faces longshot odds in blue Massachusetts.
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