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.