Harvard professor says she will ‘wind down’ campaign for Massachusetts governor

Harvard University professor Danielle Allen (D) announced on Tuesday that she will “wind down” her campaign for governor of Massachusetts.

Allen, who first launched her gubernatorial bid in June, did not give a particular reason for ending her campaign, but did knock the commonwealth’s ballot access process, arguing that it “does a disservice” to Massachusetts.

“As I transition out of this campaign and towards my next phase of work on behalf of our democracy, I want to sound an alarm on something that has become clearer to me through this work — a ballot access process that does a disservice to Massachusetts’ history of leadership on democracy,” Allen wrote in a statement.

She said Massachusetts’s current system is “leading to a serious impoverishment of our democracy” by providing fewer candidate options on the ballot, and making it difficult for “non-traditional candidates” to enter races. She pointed to the math of the commonwealth’s winner-take-all process and “limited engagement access for the broader part of the Democratic electorate” as drivers of those issues.

“In Massachusetts, where we pride ourselves on being the birthplace of democracy, there is no excuse for ballot access procedures that push out qualified but non-traditional candidates and rob the people of Massachusetts of real choice on their ballot,” Allen wrote.

The professor said addressing democratic reform in this area will be a priority for her going forward.

Additionally, Allen said her “commitment to continue creating progress” on issues including housing, executive branch adherence to the Public Records Act and addiction is “unwavering.”

“Today, while I am announcing my decision to wind down my campaign for governor, my commitment to continue creating progress on these issues — arm in arm with activists and community members across our Commonwealth — is unwavering,” she wrote.

A spokeswoman for the Allen campaign said the candidate believed her path to securing the Democratic nomination was shrinking, and ultimately believed that she could contribute to issues important to her through other efforts, according to The Boston Globe.

Her decision comes just two weeks after the campaign put forth a policy proposal that called for decriminalizing drugs, including heroin, the Globe noted.

Allen on Tuesday said she was “incredibly proud” of the work her campaign did, including her becoming the first gubernatorial candidate in the commonwealth’s history to call for decriminalizing addiction.

Massachusetts state Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz (D) and state Attorney General Maura Healey (D) are currently vying for the Democratic nomination. On the other side of the aisle, former state Rep. Geoff Diehl (R) and businessman Chris Doughty (R) are running to represent the GOP in the general election.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) announced in December that he would not run for reelection in 2022.