MA Governor's Race 2018: Charlie Baker Vs. Jay Gonzalez

The Massachusetts gubernatorial race is a political paradox. The Democratic challenger is a heavy underdog against the Republican incumbent, despite running in true-blue Massachusetts. And while the Republican is one of the most popular governors in the country, he is held in higher regard by Democrats than in his own party.

Nonetheless, the race between Gov. Charlie Baker and Jay Gonzalez is more about issues than about narrative - especially when compared to the U.S. Senate race.

Gonzalez gained a foothold against Baker in their second debate, pouncing on the governor's wavering over whether he would vote for GOP U.S. Senate candidate Geoff Diehl, a discipline of President Trump. Baker told reporters after the debate that he misspoke and would vote for Diehl, as he is pledged to support the GOP ticket.

Gonzalez saw an opening in liberal Massachusetts.

"To me, this comes down to clear loyalty for the Republican Party over supporting issues like pro-choice and women's rights and LGBT issues," he said.

Baker, for his part, points to a largely bipartisan record since he was elected in 2014. He was the one who signed the 2016 law ensuring transgender protections that an upcoming ballot question could repeal.

Here's a brief look at the candidates:

Charlie Baker

A Morning Consult poll over the summer had Baker as the most popular governor in all the land. Despite that, 28 percent of his own party's delegates voted for a controversial founder of what the Southern Law Poverty Center calls a hate group during the GOP convention in April. That's likely due to Baker's perception as an "anti-Trump" Republican.

Baker has been both praised and criticized for his propensity to stay safely in the middle. He is pro-choice and favors transgender rights and famously didn't vote for Trump in the 2016 presidential election.

Baker's critics would say his centrist tendencies point to a lack of decisive leadership. Gonzalez has tried to pin the Massachusetts State Police overtime scandal on Baker, which the governor has yet to own up to.

When asked by The Boston Globe about the most pressing issue facing Massachusetts, Baker offered a multi-pronged response including "aggressive reforms to curb the opioid epidemic and increase investments in public schools, workforce training, and higher education to help our students and families succeed."

Jay Gonzalez

To turn a baseball phrase, Gonzalez knows he's going to need more than a few singles to beat his incumbent opponent. In late September, he swung for the fences.

The 47-year-old Gonzalez needed a source of revenue to fund his ambitious goal of investing in education and transportation, so he proposed a plan to tax many of the top colleges in Massachusetts to the tune of $1 billion. The highest-taxed university would be Harvard, which would have to part with $563 million of its $36 billion 2017 endowment, according to the Gonzalez campaign.

Baker pointed out that Trump also has proposed taxing elite private universities, jumping on a rare chance to lump Gonzalez with the president.

Gonzalez has also made it clear he supports a tax similar to the so-called millionaire's tax that was denied a spot on the November ballot.

The governor has questioned just how much Gonzalez intends on raising taxes if elected.

One of Gonzalez's main talking points has been transportation and its infrastructure, often lamenting public transit delays and lengthy commute times.

Gonzalez, like Baker a former health insurance executive, is pushing for a single-payer plan that he says would reduce health care costs in Massachusetts.

Baker said Gonzalez's health plan is unrealistic and would cost $30 billion.