Baker calls election 'honor of a lifetime' in speech after Coakley concedes

SOMERVILLE, Mass. (

) - Democrat Martha Coakley called Republican Charlie Baker around 8:15 a.m. on Wednesday morning to concede the Massachusetts governor's race and congratulate Baker on his victory.

Coakley addressed her supporters at her Somerville campaign headquarters at 11 a.a.m.thanking everyone involved in her campaign and saying that she would not have done anything differently.

When asked what was next for the Attorney General, Coakley said that she would be getting brunch with her husband and spending time with her children.

Coakley did not specify what the next move in her political career would be, but did say that wants to find a way to work for the people of Massachusetts.

"Whatever I do next, I'll be better at it because of my experiences in this race," Coakley said.

Coakley encouraged all women to feel confident when running for office, saying that "sometimes the best man for the job is a woman."

Coakley had declined to concede after the ballots came in late Tuesday showing Baker with a narrow lead. When asked why she didn't address her supporters last night, she said that

she felt that voters deserved to have every vote counted and knew that they wouldn't get a final result.

About 36,000 votes separated the two, with Baker holding an edge over Coakley with 99 percent of precincts reporting, a margin of victory of about 1.7 percent.

Baker, who will become the state's first GOP leader since Mitt Romney left in 2007, will replace Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick, who opted not to seek a third term in office.

Before leaving the podium, Coakley said that both she and Baker had run a great race, and thanked her supporters one last time. "Life goes on, and races will continue," she said.

Approximately an hour after Coakley's speech, Baker, now the governor-elect, spoke to the media and took questions.

He thanked the voters of Massachusetts and said he and Karyn Polito, his lieutenant, are looking forward to getting to work. He called the election "the honor of a lifetime."

Cox Media Group