Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker’s campaign account currently has a balance of almost $4 million acquired from fundraising, the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance reported Sept. 16.
The report states that Baker’s total bank-reported receipts in the reporting period from Sept. 1 to Sept. 15 amounts to $34,540 from individuals. Donations come mainly from Massachusetts residents, and donations range from $50 to $1,000, according to the report.
Baker, a Republican, has not announced if he will run for a second term in the 2018 elections.
OCPF spokesperson Jason Tait said state laws indicate U.S. citizens or permanent residents over the age of 18 can contribute up to $1,000 a year to a candidate’s campaigns for public office — from school committee seats to gubernatorial posts.
However, Tait said the contribution cap per person to every candidate was initially $500, but the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate revised the law in 2014 to raise the limit.
“It has been set at $500 for quite some time since 1994,” Tait said, “so from ‘94 to 2014 — that’s 20 years — so they decided to move it up to $1000.”
According to the report, all contributions Baker received since Sept. 1 abide by the limits regulated in state laws.
Tait said the money donated by individuals can be used in any way the candidate sees fit.
“Candidates can make expenditures to enhance the political future of the candidate, so that can mean mailings, board signs,” Tait said. “There are many things a campaign account can pay for as long as it enhances the political future of the candidate, but it can’t be primarily personal.”
Baker’s campaign’s finance director David Drummond said the amount of contributions reflects the people’s support toward the governor.
“Since day one, Governor Baker has pursued a results-oriented, common-sense approach that is resonating with people across Massachusetts,” Drummond said. “We’re grateful for the strong support, as the governor continues to deliver for the people of the Commonwealth every day.”
John Portz, a political science professor at Northeastern University, said Baker’s campaign’s financial standing serves an advantage for his potential rerun in the 2018 election.
“The governor is accumulating a considerable finance ‘war chest’ that will allow him to contribute to other elections and be in a very strong position for the next gubernatorial election,” Portz said. “It will give likely opponents a second thought as to whether they can successfully oppose him.”
In May, the survey group Morning Consult named Baker the nation’s “most popular governor” with a 72 percent approval rating. The survey was conducted nationwide and involved more than 66,000 voters from January to early May, Morning Consult’s website stated.
Boston residents expressed mixed views over Baker’s performance as governor and his financial standing.
Joseph Lemieux, 57, of Fenway, said Baker has performed well in his duties.
“Charlie Baker is better than other Republican governors,” he said. “In the past, there [have] been Republican governors I didn’t care too much about. It seems like Baker is bipartisan in some ways, and it helps on some issues — I can’t think of them off the top of my head. But he is a good governor.”
Curt DiCamillo, 55, of Jamaica Plain, said he is dissatisfied with some of Baker’s policies, like the cutting of funding for the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Overall, however, DiCamillo said Baker has been performing “a decent job.”
“I didn’t vote for him,” he said. “He is a perfect modern Republican, but I would prefer a Democrat who is more focused on the arts and not just about making things efficient and balancing the budget.”
Elaine Lowenstein, 71, of Jamaica Plain, said Baker performs better than governors of other states and does not only serve the interest of his party.
“If you look at the other states compared to ours, I think he is doing a great job,” she said. “He does what is in the best interest of both parties. He’s a Republican, and I’m a Democrat, and I voted for him.”
