BOSTON (AP) — Gubernatorial candidate Charles Baker of Swampscott followed a Massachusetts Republican tradition today by selecting a veteran state legislator to be his running mate in next year's election.
Baker, the former Harvard Pilgrim Health Care president, tapped Sen. Richard Tisei as his ally for a primary against fellow Republican Christy Mihos. The winner faces the Democratic incumbent, Gov. Deval Patrick, and state Treasurer Timothy Cahill, who is running as an independent, in the November 2010 general election.
"Throughout his career in public service, Richard has built a solid voting record as a fiscal conservative and a reformer of state government," Baker said in a statement issued as he appeared with Tisei.
Tisei, a longtime legislator from Wakefield but largely unknown outside the state's anemic GOP circles, labeled Baker "the right person at the right time to get us out of this mess."
He added: "Charlie and I share the same philosophy: We understand that the economy needs to be jump-started to get people back to work, that we need to change the business-as-usual attitude on Beacon Hill, and that we need to make Massachusetts more competitive and more affordable."
Tisei, who owns a real estate company in Lynnfield, is the most veteran Republican in the Senate, having first won election in 1984 at the age of 22. Now 47, he served six years in the House before winning the first of 10 consecutive two-year terms in the Senate.
While describing himself as a fiscal conservative, Tisei is considered a social liberal. He revealed last week that he is gay, and he has supported efforts to legalize gay marriage in Massachusetts. Baker recently revealed his brother is gay, and he has been a longtime supporter of gay marriage.
Such a blend of fiscal conservatism and social liberalism is reminiscent of the formula William Weld successfully used to win his 1990 and 1994 gubernatorial campaigns.
Baker's selection of Tisei has practical implications for both men.
By announcing their campaign now, they can hold joint fundraisers both this calendar year and next, allowing them to seek the maximum $500 annual contribution from individuals in the six weeks remaining in 2009 and during the 11 months next year before Election Day.
They also can tap their individual networks to funnel $5,000 individual contributions to the Massachusetts Republican Party, whose members and apparatus have largely shunned Mihos after he staged an independent campaign against the GOP's nominee, Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, in the 2006 gubernatorial race.
Baker and Tisei can also split campaign appearances across the state, and Tisei can help Baker with his outreach and intelligence in the Statehouse.
For more on Baker's pick, please see Tuesday's edition of The Salem News.
