Our view: Baker candidacy gives GOP much-needed lift

July 13, 2009 03:59 am

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Charles Baker's entry into the 2010 gubernatorial sweepstakes promises to provide Bay State Republicans with a much-needed jolt of energy.

The Swampscott resident brings impressive credentials to the race. He served in a number of state jobs, including secretary of Administration & Finance and secretary of Health and Human Services, in previous Republican administrations. As CEO of Harvard Pilgram Health Care — a job he left last week in order to concentrate on his political career — he turned the once-struggling nonprofit into one of the leading providers of health insurance in New England. And as a former selectman in his hometown, he is very familiar with the challenges facing the commonwealth's cities and towns.

Baker will be tested in the Republican primary by the feisty Christy Mihos, a well-known businessman and former Massachusetts Turnpike Authority member, who ran an impressive campaign as an independent three years ago.

While some might view a primary fight as a distraction and waste of resources, we see it as a chance for all candidates to hone their campaign skills and make their views better known to the voting public. (This could be particularly helpful to Baker, who has not run statewide before and is not well known outside of Republican and business circles.)

Massachusetts itself will be well served by a race that, at this point, looks to feature the incumbent Democrat, Deval Patrick; an independent candidacy by state Treasurer Tim Cahill; along with the GOP standard-bearer.

But it would be better served if a sufficient number of Republicans are inspired by what is happening at the top of the ticket to run for legislative office.

In the last election Massachusetts trailed every other state in terms of the percentage of legislative seats that were contested. Such apathy pretty much guarantees it will be business as usual on Beacon Hill.

It's great that the Republican Party is prepared to make a credible effort to regain the corner office. It's more important it find candidates capable of running, winning and swelling the party's thin ranks in the House and Senate.