Baker, Coakley in Final Sprint

The kind of weather campaign operatives hate - cold, rainy and raw - gripped Massachusetts Saturday as Democrat Martha Coakley and Republican Charlie Baker barnstormed from western Massachusetts to Worcester, Greater Boston and the Merrimack Valley in a final push 72 hours before voting begins Tuesday.

Both swung through Lowell within 90 minutes of each other Saturday afternoon, Coakley to meet with supporters inside Cobblestones Restaurant, Baker to collect an endorsement from Democratic state Representative David Nangle at the Owl diner.

"I am convinced that voters are going to focus on who is the candidate that is going to fight for me, who is going to represent my interests, who's gonna stand up for me," Coakley said.

"I'm going to keep talking about what we can do to improve our economy, improve our schools, and bring the kind of balance to Beacon Hill that people are looking for," said Baker.

Both candidates were accompanied by their spouses. Baker also brought along former Republican Massachusetts governor William F. Weld, for whom he served as human services secretary in the early 1990s.

"This guy is, on his worst day, so much better than I was on my best day," said Weld.

Weld, who won two elections, said he was impressed with how Baker and running mate Karyn Polito have, according to polls, drawn even with Coakley and Steve Kerrigan and in some cases are leading them.

"They start out 20 points behind, they don't bat an eyelash. People are throwing matches and gasoline at them," Weld said, "and they just keep on going."

Coakley got support from Democratic U.S. Rep Niki Tsongas, who said she is the right choice for Lowell and for Massachusetts.

"She understands the unique challenge and the role that the state has to play with our cities in order to move ahead," Tsongas said.

Both Baker and Coakley expressed confidence about getting voters to the real polls Tuesday to convert encouraging numbers from media polls into victory.

"We have 25 field offices and a ton of volunteers who've been working on our behalf for the last six months, and I feel good about our get out the vote, and I think it's going to surprise some people," said Baker.

Coakley, likewise, said, "We feel very energized, excited, about our ability to get out our vote, and I've always said in this campaign, it's going to come down to who has the best ideas and the best organization."

With videographer Mike Bellwin