Former state treasurer Steve Grossman, who failed twice to get his party's gubernatorial nomination and then this year backed a candidate who left the race last week, is throwing his support to a former top Patrick administration official in the now two-way Democratic race for governor.
Grossman is sending out an email to his supporters announcing he is endorsing former secretary of administration and finance Jay Gonzalez and asking them to donate to his gubernatorial campaign.
"Jay was a passionate and effective advocate for the progressive values and policies of the Patrick administration,'' said Grossman, who served as chairman of the Democratic Party at both the state and national level in 1990s.
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"His relentless commitment to fiscal discipline and accountability through some of the most difficult years the people of Massachusetts have faced makes him the right person to carry the Democratic message forward in November,'' Grossman wrote in his message.
Gonzalez is competing with environmental activist Robert Massie in a race that was reshaped last week when former Newton mayor Setti Warren stunned the political world with his announcement he was dropping out of the race. Warren said he saw no path to beat Baker who, polls show, is hugely popular and has a gigantic campaign finance account, dwarfing all the Democratic war chests combined.
Grossman was elected in 2010 to a four-year term as state treasurer. He served one term, giving up the post to run unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for governor, losing in the 2014 primary to then-Attorney General Martha Coakley. He also tried to run in 2002, but dropped out before the primary.
Frank Phillips can be reached at frank.phillips@globe.com.