Lt. Gov. Tim Murray this morning said he would “like to be governor,” but he would not say whether Gov. Deval Patrick has been offered a post in the Obama administration, or whether he plans to run for governor after Patrick’s term expires.
“Like many of you, I would like to be governor,” Murray told business leaders at a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce breakfast.
“But,” he added, “I’m mindful of my job as lieutenant governor.”
There is widespread speculation that Patrick, who campaigned for Obama and dined with him last Friday at the White House, is a potential candidate for a top administration post.
But if Murray had any inside information about the governor’s political future, or his own, he would not budge.
“Despite my current proximity to the office … I will not be making any announcements yet,” he said. “I’m not going to rush into anything.”
Murray’s talk covered a range of issues, from the accomplishments of the Patrick administration to the year-end “fiscal cliff.”
Unless Congress reaches a compromise, steep tax hikes and cuts in the federal budget will take effect on Jan. 1.
“People want compromise. They want things to get done,” he said. “We’re going to need to make cuts … but we’re also going to need revenue.”