Charlie Baker, the Governor of Massachusetts, announced on Wednesday that he would not be running for a third term in the upcoming gubernatorial elections, dismissing his chance to retain the office for a third term. Baker, 65, is a member of the Republican party.

In a letter sent state employees, Baker and his deputy Karyn Polito, said while announcing their choice, “This was an extremely difficult decision for us”, according to reports from Associated Press.

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The letter added, “Serving as Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts has been the most challenging and fulfilling jobs we’ve ever had. We will forever be grateful to the people of this state for giving us this great honor.”

Baker’s decision comes near the end of a second grueling year in which his singular focus has been trying to cope with the once-in-a-century health and economic crisis in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Multiple individuals have already announced that they would be running for the state’s top office. These include former Massachusetts Senator Ben Downing, state Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz and Danielle Allen, a professor at Harvard University.

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The gubernatorial race in Massachusetts is expected to become even more crowded after Baker’announce retirement from the office as the elections will now be for an open office.

Multiple Republican party members have also announced that they would be running for the office, with some of them having a significant advantage over others. Geoff Diehl, a former Republican state representative, has already received endorsement from former United States President Donald Trump.

“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,” Baker and Polito said in their email.