Senate President Karen Spilka has made her endorsement in governor's race

BOSTON — Snubbing a member of her own chamber, Senate President Karen Spilka on Wednesday endorsed Attorney General Maura Healey in the Democratic primary for governor over state Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz.

"Attorney General Maura Healey is a proven leader who brings people together to deliver results and won't hesitate to stand up for what's right for the people of Massachusetts," Spilka, D-Ashland, said in a statement. "She has been a strong partner to the state Senate on the most pressing issues facing the state, particularly in confronting the mental health and opioid crises. I know that with Maura Healey as governor, we will build on our progress to make Massachusetts a healthier, stronger, and fairer home for all."

Spilka announced her pick in the gubernatorial contest two days before Democrats are set to kick off their 2022 nominating convention, where candidates will need to earn support from at least 15% of delegates to make the primary ballot and majority support to earn the party's official endorsement.

Spilka opted against endorsing Chang-Díaz, a Boston Democrat who has served alongside her in the Senate since 2009. When Spilka started her first full term as Senate president in 2019, shortly after the branches failed to agree on a public education funding reform bill, she removed Chang-Díaz as co-chair of the Education Committee and reassigned her to lead other panels instead.

House Speaker Ronald Mariano is also a Healey supporter and endorsed her in March.

Spilka announced her endorsement alongside a Daily News op-ed she penned with Healey in which the duo call for increased investment in mental health supports as well as legislative action to update behavioral health parity laws followed by "aggressively" enforcing those measures.

"Mental health parity as a concept is simple: Insurance coverage for mental health care should be equal to coverage for any other medical condition," they wrote. "This concept has been codified in federal and state law for decades, but interpretations of the laws have differed and enforcement has been challenging."

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Senate President Karen Spilka endorses AG Maura Healey for governor