by Ian Kea

In two weeks, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will elect a new governor. The new governor will be the first woman to hold that title, not only because of her networking, but also with the help of numerous volunteers whipped up by the Democratic machine that will carry her through the homestretch.

Is Martha Coakley everyone’s cup of tea? No. But, she is a product of a very successful Deval Patrick administration, which has put Massachusetts at or near the top of many state rankings among categories such as environmental protection and sustainability, access and affordability of healthcare, business and the economy, and education according to rankings from CNN and Fox Business.

Recent polls have put the two main gubernatorial candidates, Republican Charlie Baker and Democrat Coakley, neck-and-neck. Unions, out of state guest visits, volunteers, along with the support of other coordinated campaigns will help Coakley keep the curtains blue in the corner office come November.

Democrats across the state were biting their teeth when they initially saw the most recent gubernatorial polls. They are flocking to union halls and campaign offices for the ‘get out the vote’ operation, also known as GOTV, headed by the state Democratic party.

Almost all Democratic campaigns in the state are putting in calls for Martha Coakley, including Democratic Attorney General candidate Maura Healey’s race. Healey is ahead of her Republican challenger John Miller by a 20 percent margin in all three major polls conducted on that race by Suffolk University and UMass Amherst. In a campaign like Healey’s, where she is almost guaranteed to win, the focus shifts to Coakley, whom Healey hopes will be her boss once again as Governor. For Democratic candidates who know their race is locked up and secure, they now are turning their focus and using all their resources in the hopes to make Coakley governor.

Democrats, who outnumber registered Republicans three to one in Massachusetts, according to the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office, are also getting the volunteer help they need in order to sway the state’s almost 2.3 million unenrolled voters by Nov. 4.

Just in case volunteers, callers, canvassers, and coordinated campaigns don’t do the trick, the Massachusetts Democratic Party had a backup plan — bring in former President Bill Clinton. On Thursday, former President Clinton stood before a crowd of 800 in support of Coakley at Clark University in Worcester. Clinton made the point that with Coakley as governor, Massachusetts can capitalize on the progressive work from the Patrick administration that made it one of the top states in the union.

“You’ve got a model most of this country and most of the world would die to have. Don’t mess it up,” said Clinton.

From volunteers to former presidents vying for Coakley, independents will have a clearer picture of who they want to vote for. Democrats have laid out all their cards here, and with Coakley’s army of volunteers, canvassers and phone bankers, Baker will not be able to keep up.

Although well-funded, Baker has to pay for his manpower while Coakley and the Massachusetts Democratic machine have volunteers guaranteed election. During the homestretch of the campaign, Coakley’s sea of volunteers will be too much for Baker to match.

While she is settling into the corner office, Republicans will be thinking of a new strategy, and will be on a search to find fresh, new candidates once again.