Next week, the tight race for the next Massachusetts governor will conclude when voters hit the polls on Tuesday. Democrat Martha Coakley and Republican Charlie Baker are at the forefront of the election, the other three candidates being Independents Evan Falchuk, Scott Lively, and Jeff McCormick.

Charlie Baker, the Republican “Weed Whacker” and former healthcare CEO, aims to bring Republican power to the governor’s office, as Democrats currently hold every congressional seat and most statehouse seats for Massachusetts. Previous positions for Baker include Secretary of Health and Human Services for previous Governor Bill Weld and Secretary of Administration and Finance for Weld and former Governor Paul Cellucci. As the CEO of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Baker helped save the company from bankruptcy. In 2010, Baker ran against Governor Deval Patrick.

Baker’s plans for governor include:
– Increase the number of charter schools
– Make higher education more affordable
– Reduce the fees required to launch a business
– Help small employers deal with the new financial burden of increased minimum wage
– No tax increases

Martha Coakley, well-known attorney general, is using her prosecutorial skills as a selling point in her campaign, claiming that they will assist her in cracking down on the biggest problems facing the state. If elected, Coakley would be the first female elected governor in Massachusetts history.

Coakley’s plans include:
– 500 million dollars in increased spending on social welfare programs
– Expand science, engineering, and math programs for students
– Possible pursuit of a graduated income tax rather than a flat tax
– Eliminate the waiting list of families seeking vouchers for pre-kindergarten education

After vicious campaign advertising, the race will come to a close this Tuesday, with two strong candidates neck-in-neck for the win. The average of recent polls has Baker winning by 4 points, but as we have seen in Massachusetts, anything can happen in politics.