Coakley Visits Attleboro

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley made her way through Morin's Diner Monday afternoon a few hours after officially announcing her intention to run for governor of Massachusetts.


Coakley, who lost the 2010 Massachusetts Special Senate Election to Scott Brown, chatted with Attleboro residents as she moved her way through the century-old restaurant in the city's center.


"I have to earn the respect of every voter in Massachusetts," she said. "I’m working, starting with this campaign today and every day to the primary to make sure I talk to voters about their concerns and fears. This is about moving forward. This is about who is going to be the best to lead Massachusetts on the economy, on jobs, on modernizing our education."


Coakley joins a Democratic Primary race occupied by Treasurer Steven Grossman, former homeland security official Juliette Kayyem, former health care official Donald M. Berwick, and Joseph Avellone. Former Lieutenant Governor Charlie Baker is running on the Republican side.


Her stop at Morin's was part of a campaign blitz Monday that included stops in her hometown Medford, Brockton, Fall River, New Bedford and Hyannis.


In the 2010 Senate election, Coakley lost Bristol County with 43 percent of the vote compared to Brown's 56 percent.


In Attleboro in particular, she fell to Brown by a wide margin. Brown earned 63 percent of the 'Boro vote while Coakley earned 36 percent.

"That’s what this campaign is all about – me getting around this state, particularly in this region to look at what the interest is for folks here around the economy and education," she said. "Part of this campaign is also going to be me understanding what we can do better and making sure the people have an opportunity for education and opportunities to compete."

Coakley said she hopes she can improve Attleboro's education system and manufacturing economy.

"I know having grown up in Berkshire County that parts of the state perhaps outside Boston that don’t get the same exposure and resources suffer more when the economy is tough," she said. "We’ve seen it in terms of mortgage foreclosure issues. We’ve seen it in terms of businesses. I’m really interested in making sure we work with everybody in Attleboro and this region on the schools issue, on the manufacturing issue and so we can get a better environment for business and jobs."