Republican candidate for Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker has said that growing in up in a bi-partisan household taught him the value of public service and hearing more than one point of view.
As a result of his primary win on Tuesday, Baker has a second chance to break the Democratic Party monopoly on the top jobs at the State House after coming up short against Governor Deval Patrick in 2010.
Many are calling Tuesday's victories for women candidates - including Baker's Democratic opponent, Attorney General Martha Coakley - a sign that 2014 is the year for women in Massachusetts politics. Baker says he's happy so many women are winning in the public and private sector.
"I think this is a great thing, and I think the issues that I'm talking about over the course of this race that I've been talking about for the better part of a year here, what we can do to strengthen our economy for everybody, so that everybody has a shot, what we can do to make our schools great, what we can do to build great communities, I think these are issues that appeal to men and women," he said.
Baker also weighed in on the ongoing controversy surrounding the NFL, Roger Goodell and the Ray Rice investigation. He said it would be appropriate for the NFL to have an independent investigation into who knew what and when.
"If Goodell truthfully didn't know anything about that video until he saw it, that's one thing. But if he knew about that video and saw that video, I think it would be pretty hard for him to stay on the job," Baker said.
Baker says one of his opponent's greatest strengths is her public service record, but adds all of that time in public service is also one of Coakley's greatest weaknesses.
Politics
"She doesn't know that much about the private economy. She doesn't know that much about how to grow jobs and she's never had a job where you are supposed to drive the agenda and make the proactive calls about where you want to take the Commonwealth, and I think that's something I bring to the table," he said.
