Boston, MA. – February 8: Governor Charlie Baker speaks at a press conference at the State House on February 8, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Staff Photo By Matt Stone/ Boston Herald)
With his eight-year term as a party standard-bearer drawing to a close, Gov. Charlie Baker hopes the MassGOP leadership with whom he has clashed will adjust to a poor Republican showing in last month's elections.
Baker, who has enjoyed sizable approval ratings for most of his tenure, has found himself at odds with party leadership in recent years as Chairman Jim Lyons pulls it further to the right and toward open embrace of former President Donald Trump.
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In Baker's final monthly appearance on GBH News's "Boston Public Radio," host Jim Braude asked Baker if he believes the state Republican Party -- whose candidates lost every statewide race this cycle and dropped seats in the Legislature -- can "reimagine itself" following his departure.
"I'm a big believer that at the end of the day, parties do listen to voters," Baker said. "The voters of this country sent a big message on Election Day about what they want and don't want. They sent one here, too, and I think it's really important for people to hear the voters. Hearing the voters and adjusting to them is the only way you maintain your relevance."
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When one caller who praised the governor's popularity asked whether he thought about launching a presidential bid in 2024, Baker repeated what has become a common refrain: he plans to be involved somehow, but probably not on the ballot.
"My wife is really looking forward to having me around a little more, so I don't think I'll be a candidate in '24 for anything. I will certainly try to be involved in a positive way," Baker said.
