Both Martha Coakley and Charlie Baker spent a chunk of their Thursday observing the 9-11 anniversary.
The candidates for governor have just over seven weeks to make their case to voters, which includes those who did not consider Coakley or Baker their first choice, such as supporters of Democrat Steve Grossman. who lost to Coakley by just 5-6 percent.
How strongly has Coakley courted Steve Grossman's supporters?
"I believe, and I know this from Steve himself, that we are going to be united in moving forward," she said.
But the Baker campaign sees an opportunity among Grossman voters, who liked Grossman's background in business and job creation. Baker also has a business background as the former CEO of Harvard Pilgrim Health care.
"We've had plenty of people who've said to us, 'Talk to us after the primary.' And the primary is over and we're going to talk to them," Baker said.
In fact, Baker is going Friday to Quincy, where he is getting a tour of the city from Mayor Thomas Koch, a Democrat and a former Grossman supporter.
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The candidates are already accusing each other of going negative. Both have super PACs that have aired negative ad, which the campaigns, by law, have no control over. But Coakley has called Baker an ultra-conservative, tea party candidate, a description Baker just laughs at.
"I think that's a ridiculous claim. I'm a Bill Weld/Paul Cellucci/Charlie Baker Republican. I'm a Massachusetts Republican and voters in Massachusetts know what that means," he said.
"I look forward to the contrasts, but meanwhile, we're still really focused on our very positive message about turning this economy around for everybody, not just for people at the top and not just for Boston and Cambridge," Coakley said.
Coakley and Baker aren't the only ones in this race. There are three other candidates who think they can cut through the big party bickering and catch the attention of the electorate, a majority of which is independent.
Jeff McCormick, an independent gubernatorial candidate, has a background in business.
"People have wanted a choice and they want someone who has created jobs because that's the number one issue around the Commonwealth and they want someone who's not tied to the status quo or special interests, which obviously I am not," he said.
Evan Falchuk and Scott Lively are two other independents in the race.
