Charlie Baker

Baker's Book on ‘Getting Beyond Politics to Get Important Work Done' Hits Bookshelves

"Success is measured by what we accomplish together. Our obligation to the people we serve is too important to place politics and partisanship before progress and results," Baker writes in the book

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Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker's new book on how to get things done in public service hit bookshelves on Tuesday.

Baker, who isn't running for reelection in 2022 despite being one of the nation's most popular governors, wrote "Results: Getting Beyond Politics to Get Important Work Done" with his first chief of staff, Steve Kadish.

According to the publisher, the book aims to help leaders deal with bureaucracy and politics, as well as to show how to restore the public's faith in the government by accomplishing meaningful things.

"Success is measured by what we accomplish together. Our obligation to the people we serve is too important to place politics and partisanship before progress and results," Baker writes in the book.

He is one of several Republican governors of largely Democratic-leaning U.S. states. Baker's approval rating has been in the 60s and 70s for much of his two terms in office, including the pandemic, but in December he and his lieutenant governor, Karyn Polito, announced that he won't seek reelection this year.

Watch the news conference given by Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito after they announced they would not seek reelection in 2022.

"If we were to run, it would be a distraction that would potentially get in the way of many of the things we should be working on for everyone in Massachusetts. We want to focus on recovery, not on the grudge matches political campaigns can devolve into," they said in a statement.

As Baker steps aside, Massachusetts' Republican party is moving to the right.

Baker and President Donald Trump often clashed on issues, like how to respond to the pandemic and respect for democratic institutions, but at the party convention this weekend, party chair Jim Lyons won applause from delegates when he declared, "President Donald J. Trump is the greatest president in my lifetime," and speculated about Massachusetts becoming "pro-life again" -- delegates later cheered at the prospects of overturning Roe v. Wade.

State House News Service contributed to this report.

NBC/State House News Service
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