Charlie Baker Wins Massachusetts GOP Primary
BOSTON — Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has won the Republican primary as he seeks a second four-year term in office.
Baker fended off a challenge Tuesday from Scott Lively, an ultraconservative minister from Springfield who called the incumbent a RINO — short for "Republican in name only."
Baker largely ignored Lively, a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, beyond sharply criticizing his opponent's history of controversial anti-LGBT statements. Baker is a frequent critic of Trump's policies.
Despite Massachusetts' reputation as a solidly Democratic state, polling has shown Baker to be highly popular with voters throughout his first term. He credits in part his willingness to work cooperatively with Democratic leaders at the Statehouse.
Baker's critics say he's failed to make progress on solving key problems, such as the Boston-area's aging and frequently unreliable public transit system, known as the T.