Republican wins Massachusetts governor’s race

Republican Charlie Baker clinched the Massachusetts governor’s race, defeating Democrat Martha Coakley, according to The Associated Press.

The result is not entirely unexpected, as Baker held a narrow lead, adding to Republican victories in Democrat-leaning states such as Maryland and Maine. 

Coakley, famous for her 2010 Senate loss to Scott Brown, made a point of showing she was campaigning hard this time around. In 2010, she came under fire for not campaigning hard enough.

Baker pointed to management problems in state government, including a faulty ObamaCare website, and played up his liberal social views. One ad featured his brother, who is gay. 

Baker joins a history of Republican governors in Massachusetts. Before the current Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick, there were Republican governors for 16 straight years.