Party primaries to choose finalists for the decisive November general election will be held next Tuesday, Sept. 9. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. The statewide focus is on contested constitutional seats, including governor, treasurer and tight race for attorney general, while closer to home there is a four-way race for the 12th Suffolk state representative’s seat held by Rep. Dan Cullinane.

In the gubernatorial slot, three Democrats are vying to move on to face the Republican nominee in November. Don Berwick, who surprised many with a strong showing at June’s Democratic convention, is a 67-year-old Newton pedeitrician and former administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Berwick’s major campaign pledge to create a statewide single-payer health care system and progressive plans to end homelessness have resonated with electeds including State Senators Sonia Chang Diaz, (D-Boston) Dan Wolf (D-Harwich), and Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton). In the final week before the primary, Berwick supporters are organizing two stand-outs on Friday: One at Adams Village and the other at Ashmont Station, followed by a rally at Ashmont Station on Sunday evening.

Widely considered the Democratic frontrunner, Medford’s Martha Coakley has sought to buck the jitters lingering among party faithful still spooked by her ‘10 loss to Scott Brown for Ted Kennedy’s former U.S. Senate seat as well as her third place finish for the 13th Suffolk Seat–won by now-Mayor Marty Walsh in ‘97. In this race, the Pittsfield native has focused on “prosperous and fair” economic development, stopping predatory lending from the AG’s office, as well as women’s rights. Her record fighting against domestic violence and for women’s issues earned her an endorsement from EMILY’s List, a robust pro-abortion rights political action committee. Her endorsements include At-Large City Councillor Ayanna Pressley and State Representatives Russell Holmes and Dan Cullinane. The latter worked as an aide for Coakley during her time as attorney general.

Steve Grossman handedly secured a win at the Democratic convention but has struggled to close the gap with frontrunner Coakley. The former chairman of the state Democratic party and chair of the Democratic National Committee has found momentum in the final weeks of summer, with significant endorsements from The Boston Globe, State Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry— wife of Reporter editor and publisher Bill Forry— the Boston Pressmen’s Union, and DotOUT. The 68-year-old Newton native has pushed for universal pre-K, earned sick time, and expanding job opportunities and campaigned hard on his record as owner of Grossman Marketing, a paper company. A pro-Grossman SuperPAC that has rolled out two ads for the Newton native was subject to the state’s new disclosure law, revealing the organizations’ top donor was his mother.

Charlie Baker ran and lost to incumbent Deval Patrick in 2010, but is considered the presumptive favorite to be the Republican nominee again this year. He faces Mark Fisher on the ballot on Tuesday. On the campaign trail, Baker, the former CEO of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, has balanced his record of support for socially liberal issues such as abortion rights and gay marriage with fiscal conservatism. The 57-year-old Needham native has worked hard to court traditionally Democratic bases in urban areas, including Dorchester, increasing his chances for an upset in November.

The field for lieutenant governor on the Democratic side includes Cambridge City Councillor Leland Cheung, former Ted Kennedy aide Steve Kerrigan and Mike Lake, CEO of urban policy nonprofit Leading Cities.
Cheung made waves earlier this summer suggesting the Governor’s Council be abolished and touts a platform of fiscal conservatism, but hasn’t been able to draw the institutional support like Kerrigan and Lake. Kerrigan has maintained a respectable lead in the polls post-convention in a largely quiet LG race. The 42-year-old former CEO of the Democratic National Convention and has garnered the support of the Massachusetts Teachers Association and a number of LGBTQ groups, including DotOUT. Kerrigan lives in Lancaster with his partner Jacob Watts and thus far is the only LG candidate to roll out a television ad.

Lake has drawn the support of a number of elected officials and groups, including State Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry, State Rep. Russell Holmes, former Gov. Mike Dukakis, City Councillor Tito Jackson, and the National Organization for Women. Lake, a former candidate for state auditor in 2010, is pushing a platform of economic and social justice.

In perhaps the hottest race of the primary season, political newcomer Maura Healey has given Warren Tolman a run for his money. Healey, a 42-year-old former assistant attorney general to Martha Coakley is in a dead heat with Tolman in the polls, and nabbed the valuable endorsement from The Boston Globe, as well as support from LGBTQ groups including DotOUT. Healey has campaigned hard on her record in support of social issues including a successful challenge to the federal Defense of Marriage Act and supports repealing the casino law.
Healey has also been endorsed by former U.S. Sen. Mo Cowan and City Councillors Ayanna Pressley and Matt O’Malley.

Tolman has strong institutional support in Boston, with a recent official endorsement from Mayor Marty Walsh and over 20 elected officials including Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry, State Rep. Russell Holmes, City Councillors Frank Baker and Tito Jackson, and Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins. His brother Steve is head of the AFL-CIO. Tolman, 54, of Watertown, is a former state legislator and has pledged to use the AG’s office to wade into heady issues such as this summer’s now-resolved Market Basket brouhaha. He’s also pledged to introduce mandatory fingerprint trigger locks and other forms of “smart gun” technology to the state if elected.

The race for treasurer is a three-way contest on the Dmocratic side with Tom Conroy, a state representative from Wayland, State Senator Barry Finegold of Norwood, and Deb Goldberg of Brookline facing off.

State Rep. Dan Cullinane has brought out the big guns to defend his recently won House seat in a four-way Democratic primary. Cullinane received Mayor Marty Walsh’s first endorsement since being elected mayor and has built a strong, broad base of support, with nods from Martha Coakley, City Councillor Ayanna Pressley, DotOUT, State Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry, U.S. Congressman Mike Capuano, the AFL-CIO, MassEquality, and Planned Parenthood. Cullinane has championed his work for universal pre-Kindergarten and work to bring back the Mattapan Youth Summer Job Fair. Cullinane previously defeated both Carlotta Williams and Ruthella Logan-Cruz in the special election to fill the 12th Suffolk Seat vacated by Dorcena Forry.

Political newcomer Corey J. Allen has posed the most significant challenge to Cullinane in the state rep race. As a former administrator at Tech Boston Academy, football coach, and activist, Allen is a known entity in the Mattapan and Dorchester area. His experience in education informed one of his three legislative priorities: the kindergarten to career pipeline, as well as efforts to promote public safety and a green economy in the urban environment. Allen is also a former journalist who previously wrote for the Mattapan Reporter.

Carlotta Williams of Hyde Park is also on the ballot. Williams does not have a campaign website and could not be reached for comment. Williams previously opened a campaign committee in 2013 to run for the 12th Suffolk seat when it was vacated by Linda Dorcena Forry’s election to the Senate. According to her Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) reports filed on Aug. 28, Williams’ campaign has raised $2,751 and has spent $212 on campaign signs and $135 on campaign buttons.

Ruthella Logan-Cruz does not have a campaign website, but according to her LinkedIn, has been a political organizer at 1199 SEIU for the last four years. Her OCPF reports show $20 in her campaign account as of Aug. 31. She could not be reached for comment.

For more information on your polling location and election day, visit cityofBoston.com/elections.