AG Maura Healey announces run for Massachusetts governor

BOSTON (AP) — It’s official: Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey is running for governor.

Healey announced Thursday that she’s entering the race.

She transforms the year’s top political contest as the presumptive front-runner on the Democratic side. Healey has the highest profile of any Democratic candidate.

Republican Gov. Charlie Baker remains popular with voters but announced in December that he won’t seek a third term. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito has also announced she won’t run.

Two other Democrats have already announced their candidacies. They are Harvard professor Danielle Allen and state Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz.

Republican candidate and former state Rep. Geoff Diehl announced his candidacy before Baker opted out.