Why He Matters

Growing up influenced by a father who served under President Richard Nixon (and later President Ronald Reagan) and a liberal Democrat mother, Charlie Baker is a dyed-in-the-wool Massachusetts Republican -- a social liberal and fiscal conservative. Rumored to be a Republican contender to fill the seat vacated in 2006 by former Gov. Mitt Romney's (R) run for president, Baker waited patiently for the political climate to shift in his favor before seeking the governor's mansion in 2010. After a close race three-way race, Baker lost to incumbent Gov. Deval Patrick.

Baker spent a decade in the private sector as the CEO of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, and emphasized government transparency when campaigning to reform health care. He believed that knowing the differential costs between Medicaid, Medicare and private health insurance could make an enormous difference in the way everyday people makes decisions about health care. He didn't support the Obama administration's health-care reform bill and believed Massachusetts would absorb a disproportionate amount of tax increases and Medicare cuts, particularly as the majority of Massachusetts residents were already covered by expansive health-care reform that was enacted by former Gov. Romney.

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