CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) - The candidates seeking to succeed Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick made their final pitches to voters in the closing hours of the campaign on Monday, while also taking time to attend the funeral for longtime Boston Mayor Thomas Menino.
Democratic Attorney General Martha Coakley and Republican Charlie Baker, the former head of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, looked to rally their base and ensure their field organizations were in sound working order before polls opened at 7 a.m. on Tuesday.
Secretary of State William Galvin, the state's top elections official, was scheduled to make his prediction later Monday for how many of the state's 4.2 million registered voters would go to the polls. In addition to governor, voters will be deciding races for the U.S. Senate, attorney general and the state's other constitutional offices, along with the fates of four ballot questions - including one that seeks to repeal the states' 2011 casino gambling law.
Coakley, starting her final full day of campaigning at a Cambridge construction site, told workers she felt enthusiastic about her chances, adding she expected the race to hinge on the "ground game" - meaning the get-out-the-vote efforts by both candidates.
"We have had $9 million thrown against us because the Republican Governor's Association and the Koch brothers want to buy this election," Coakley said, a reference to outside spending on behalf of Baker.
She told supporters to ignore recent public opinion polls that showed Baker with a slight edge.
The Republican began his day by campaigning in Braintree with Democratic Mayor Joe Sullivan. Baker has touted the endorsements of a number of Democrats, including the mayors of Quincy and Gloucester, as part of an effort to overcome the institutional advantage the Democratic party typically enjoys in Massachusetts.
During a stop on Sunday in Boston's Mattapan neighborhood, Baker said his campaign has worked hard to build support in urban areas of the state.
"We've spent a lot of time in communities of color and a lot of people we met in those communities were the people who helped us build our urban agenda, which, if I'm fortunate enough to get elected, we're going to pursue pretty enthusiastically," he said.
The final day of campaigning was being overshadowed in the city by the final goodbye to Menino. His funeral procession was to stop in several locations around Boston before arriving in his home neighborhood of Hyde Park, where a funeral Mass was scheduled at Most Precious Blood Parish.
Three independents, Evan Falchuk, Scott Lively and Jeff McCormick, are also on Tuesday's ballot for governor. Patrick did not seek re-election after two terms.
