Massachusetts voters will take to the polls Tuesday to cast ballots in several hotly contested races across the Bay State.
One of the biggest races is the one for governor. Martha Coakley was out early Tuesday morning talking with voters, and republican candidate Charlie Baker wasted no time meeting with potential voters one final time after casting his own ballot.
Both Baker and Coakley are relying on their ground game to help turn out the vote today.
They have been neck and neck for months and their efforts to get out the vote appeared to be working as voters turned out to polling locations.
Coakley shook hands and greeted voters first thing in the morning and cast her ballot in West Medford. For last-minute campaigning, she will make her way to Springfield, Worcester, and Dorchester before attending her watch party in the evening at the Fairmont Copley in Boston.
“We are mostly canvassing today. This is today about getting out the vote today,” Coakley said.
“We’ve got a huge army of volunteers in every city. We spent the weekend visiting New Bedford. We have been all over the state so many times. Today is just about getting out the vote and we are prepared to do that. I’m excited about it. We got a great day and we are going to leave no door unlocked today,” she said.
On the Republican side of things, Baker was all smiles early in the day. He cast his ballot in Swampscott, and visited Peabody and Dedham, and has a planned event in West Roxbury. He will end his day at the Seaport Hotel in Boston.
“This is what we’ve worked for the past 14 months. I’m really proud of the fact that we have been able to criss-cross the Commonwealth and pick up the endorsements of most the state’s major newspapers as well as many Democrats and independents who currently serve in government. And I think that’s because they really appreciate our message about how to create jobs and improve our schools and bring the kind of discipline and balance to Beacon Hill that people are looking for,” he said.
There are also three independent candidates running for governor.