PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Massachusetts Democrats nominated state Treasurer Steven Grossman for governor, setting up a three-way Sept. 9 primary against Attorney General Martha Coakley and upstart Don Berwick. Grossman, in his fourth year as treasurer, earned 35% of delegate votes at the June 14 convention in Worcester. Coakley and Berwick earned 23% and 22%, respectively, enough to quality for the primary.
Incumbent Democrat Deval Patrick is not seeking another term. Coakley leads most statewide polls, although she must overcome the stigma of her upset loss in 2010 to Republican Scott Brown in a special election for U.S. Senate after longtime Democrat Edward "Ted" Kennedy died. "Martha Coakley is the overwhelming front-runner, and clearly I have to play catchup ball with her," Grossman told reporters. Berwick is the former head of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The Democratic winner will face Republican Charlie Baker in November. Baker, the former chief executive of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Inc., lost the general election four years ago to Patrick. Grossman is a former Massachusetts and national Democratic chairman. Before his election as treasurer, he was chief executive of Grossman Marketing Group, a 102-year-old, fourth-generation family business in Somerville, Mass.
Former Brookline selectwoman Deborah Goldberg, state Rep. Thomas Conroy of Wayland and State Sen. Barry Finegold of Andover will compete in a three-way Democratic primary for treasurer.
Goldberg and Finegold agreed not to have a convention runoff for endorsement. Financial services executive Mike Heffernan is the Republican candidate.
