Governor's Race Begins As Democrat Ben Downing First To Declare

Former State Sen. Ben Downing officially kicked off the race for governor, announcing Monday morning he will run in 2022.

Downing, a Democrat, is the first person to declare for the race — even beating the incumbent to the punch. Gov. Charlie Baker has yet to indicate whether he'll run for reelection.

Downing broke the news in the Berkshire Eagle.

His campaign is running on "working to make a fairer, stronger, Massachusetts," according to its website.

The 39-year-old from Pittsfield stepped away from the Legislature in 2017 after 10 years on Beacon Hill. He now lives in East Boston with his family and serves as an executive at Nexamp, Inc., a renewable energy company based in Boston.

"What we've been missing is leadership," Downing said on his website.

With more than 630 days before the gubernatorial election, Downing isn't likely to be the last person to get into the contest. Other Democrats have expressed interest in entering the fray, but the shape of the race will depend on whether Baker runs for reelection.

Baker, a Republican, is among the most popular governors in the country, becoming the face of the state's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic during a time when governors took a renewed level of importance amid a fragmented federal response. While Baker's been mum on his future plans, he reported raising $165,418 in December in filings with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance.

Downing was elected to the state senate at the age of 24, representing over 52 communities in western Massachusetts. He's been critical of the Baker administration in recent years.

Downing is pitching a progressive message, telling NBC10 Boston he is focused on racial, economic and environmental justice.

Mike Carraggi can be reached at mike.carraggi@patch.com. Follow him on Twitter @PatchCarraggi. Subscribe to Boston Patch for free local news and alerts and like us on Facebook.