BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com) -- The gloves are coming off in the Massachusetts race for governor. Front runners Martha Coakley and Charlie Baker are trading shots at each other; the big issue is Baker's actions while in charge of a large health plan.
FOX 25's Political Reporter Sharman Sacchetti spoke with both candidates on the campaign trail Wednesday. Baker is fighting back against what he calls "out of context" and old attacks against him. He says he's disappointed in Coakley's campaign, but Coakley says she's not going on the attack, just pointing out what she says are the difference between them.
At a campaign office in Roxbury, Baker accused Coakley of constantly going on the attack.
"All I hear from the attorney general is negative things," he said.
When asked about her thoughts on the topic, Coakley said, "I think I'm making contrasts on issues and values that people care about in this race."
The latest example, a picture circulated by Democrats showing Baker in 2008 being honored with an Outsourcing Award while at Harvard Pilgrim. The Coakley campaign points out, after Harvard Pilgrim had already turned around, Baker hired an outside vendor called Perot Systems, that sent jobs overseas.
"I'm not gonna let some smear diminish what the people at Harvard Pilgrim and Perot have accomplished," Baker said.
Baker defended the jobs he saved, but refused to talk to FOX 25 about the ones sent to India.
When asked if he thought that it was not a fair look at his record, Baker said, "I think Harvard Pilgrim employs thousands of people here in the Commonwealth, as does Dell, which is the successor company to Perot."
"He outsourced over 200 jobs in 2006 to India, at a time when people were looking for work here and the big difference between Charlie Baker and I is that I would never make that decision," Coakley said.
Harvard Pilgrim is something Baker has lauded as a huge success story, and Coakley has repeatedly zeroed in on it.
When asked if she would give Baker credit for the Harvard Pilgrim turnaround, Coakley said, "I acknowledge that, by his standards, he believes he was successful. All I'm asking voters for is to look at the decisions he made."
Baker's campaign points out the Health Connector also outsourced jobs and that Coakley had three appointees on the board.
Coakley's campaign said it's an independent board and told FOX 25 that she does not agree with that decision.
Voters will hit the poles in three weeks.
