Battenfeld: Charlie Baker’s anemic fundraising fades to new lows

Gov. Charlie Baker’s anemic campaign fundraising is fading faster than the coronavirus, raising more questions about whether he plans on pursuing a third term.

Baker raised just a little more than $3,400 in May — from a total of just six contributions — his second-worst fundraising performance in the last two years, new campaign finance reports show.

The Republican governor’s cash on hand dipped below $500,000, the lowest total of his second term.

That’s a strange way to plan for a reelection campaign that could cost tens of millions of dollars.

Baker’s sidekick, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, raised nearly $48,000 in May, and has about $2.1 million in her warchest, reports show. Polito is clearly gearing for a gubernatorial campaign if Baker decides to forgo another term. Former U.S. Senate candidate Geoff Diehl has also said he’s considering jumping in the governor’s race — even if Baker is in it.

Baker has given no real hints about what he plans to do, but it’s likely he’ll have to announce a decision by this fall — a year before the 2022 election. When he does decide it will have major ripple effects on Massachusetts’ political landscape.

The governor’s weak fundraising performance could be a sign that he won’t go for another term, or it could just mean he’s been focusing on the pandemic and not his re-election chances. But his shortage of campaign funds could put him at a severe disadvantage at least at the beginning of his campaign.

Baker’s potential opponents, notably Attorney General Maura Healey, are taking more steps to plan for what appears to be a long, costly campaign.

Healey has more than $3 million in campaign cash on hand — about six times more than what Baker has raised.

Healey’s campaign also recently dropped a lot of cash on a poll, the second one in the last year, records show. Healey paid Beacon Research $39,500 on May 6, according to records.

The Herald has previously reported Healey sent out a push poll with questions geared toward her running for governor. Healey is also paying out a total of $6,000 per month to the consulting firms of two of her political advisers, David Guarino and Corey Welford.

Baker has been consumed for more than a year on the pandemic, and that could be taking a major toll on his political ambitions.

After an extremely rocky vaccine roll out, the state has turned around its vaccination program and now has one of the best records of getting shots in people’s arms in the entire country.

But Baker has also been heavily criticized for his role in the slow response at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, where dozens of soldiers died in the beginning stages of the virus.

That could be a potential weakness if Baker decides to go for another term. But Baker’s approval ratings are hovering above 70%, making him a formidable foe.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3vSGjy1