SWAMPSCOTT, MASS. (WHDH) - It’s the end of the Baker era at the State House. The governor has left the building. Jadiann Thompson sat down with Governor Baker and his wife Lauren to reflect on the past eight years.
For eight years we’ve seen Governor Baker signing bills into law, holding news briefings, and shaking hands with supporters.
But we’re about to see Charlie Baker in a new way.
“Charlie makes the best coffee in the world,” Lauren Baker said.
The Bakers invited me into their Swampscott home for some coffee talk.
We discussed the things he’s done as governor – and how his job at the State House impacted his own house.
Charlie Baker: “One of the reasons we talked about not running again was there were a lot of days Lauren would say I was here but I really wasn’t.”
Jadiann Thompson: “And that’s a huge sacrifice.”
Lauren Baker: “It is. It’s real, that he’s never–“
Charlie Baker: “Come on!”
Lauren Baker: “Never say never. But it’s hard for him to be fully present. Because the phone rings 24 hours a day. There’s always something going on and Charlie feels really responsible to make good things happen, so his full presence is what I sacrificed.”
Baker says it was at home as a kid that he learned his most important lesson about politics – how to engage with people from both parties.
“As the son of a mom who was a Democrat and dad who is Republican – I learned pretty early on that you can have a conversation and you don’t have to agree all the time.
Listening is really where growth and opportunity comes from,” Baker said.
“What do you want to be remembered for?” Jadiann Thompson asked.
“When what went on in politics was about the noise and not about the work. I hope one of the things we’ll be remembered for is setting the tone that was about the work,” Baker said.
At no time was the work more challenging than the frightening early days of the pandemic.
Jadiann Thompson: “We saw you deeply touched a lot of times. We saw you talk about not being able to see your own father. We saw you at the podium talk about when your best friend lost his mom to Covid.”
Charlie Baker: “Yeah. I wasn’t expecting to go there, but yeah.”
Look, it was– there were terrible moments for everybody at many points along the way. But I continue to say..
the people of the commonwealth really sucked it up in a big way.”
Jadiann Thompson: “One more thing about your decision not to run again, and that is, we’ve watched the Republican party really shift to the right – was that part of your decision because you knew that would set up a likely fierce primary battle?”
Charlie Baker: “The Lt. Governor and I were absolutely convinced if we ran, we would find a way to get through to the primary.”
Jadiann Thompson: “Did you wrestle with that decision between the two of you?”
Charlie Baker: “We wrestled.”
Lauren Baker: “I think that was one of the hardest decisions we’ve made together.”
A much easier decision for Lauren – using her position to help some of the youngest Bay Staters.
“For me it’s always been about kids,” Lauren said.
A few years ago she started the Wonderfund.
The charity gives children involved with DCF the chance to take music lessons, attend camps and enjoy their must-have Christmas gift.
“I will absolutely stay committed to it for the rest of my life,” Lauren said.
“I have people come to me and say – ‘I like you, but I love you’re wife,'” Charlie said.
Governor Baker has a lot to love about the timing of his career change.
Instead of being governor he’s about to become grandpa.
Charlie Baker: “I’m pretty excited about it.”
Jadiann Thompson: “What will you miss the most about being governor?”
Charlie Baker “I’ll certainly miss the people of Massachusetts most of all.
“It’s an incredible difference to deal with people across the commonwealth who are completely familiar with you ’cause they see you all the time in the news, so they talk to you like you’re their neighbor– good or bad.”
There’s no job I can think of where you get this close to the people you’re working with than this one.”
Governor Baker says looking back he’s most proud of his work helping people who are battling substance abuse.
Looking forward – he has a couple months off before he starts his new job as president of the NCAA.
And as for running for office in the future – he tells me he’s keeping that option *in play*
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