Associated Press, May 19, 2010 Boston - The 2010 Massachusetts gubernatorial race came into sharp focus today, as a potential Democratic candidate failed to qualify for the ballot and the fall campaign winnowed to a four-way field: incumbent Governor Deval Patrick, Republican Charles Baker, independent Timothy Cahill and Green-Rainbow Party candidate Jill Stein. Worcester community activist Grace Ross announced she had failed to collect the necessary 10,000 signatures to qualify for a September primary showdown with Patrick, a fellow Democrat seeking a second term. Barring any write-in candidates, that means the fall campaign has begun, with the field set for the November 2 election. Ross, who also ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2006, literally fizzled out of the current race, standing with just four (sic) supporters in a steady drizzle outside the Statehouse to deliver her campaign swan song. Nearby, her Toyota Prius was parked illegally on Beacon Street, with its hazard flashers on. Nonetheless, she seized the moment to complain about the influence the major political parties have in determining gubernatorial nominees and their running mates, about the state’s ballot-signature requirements and about the supposed sway corporate interests have over citizen interests inside the Statehouse. "If we don’t get down to the real business of government, which is solving the deeper problems, then we’re going to see potentially very ugly not just campaign season but afterwards, where we’re fighting over the basic necessities of life with our neighbors," she said. Ross urged the remaining candidates to focus on health care delivery, homelessness and job creation. "It’s really important for the people of Massachusetts not to give up hope," she said. "Yes, I wasn’t able to get the signatures this time around, but we know the people of Massachusetts want a change." Ross pledged to "be as visible as any of the candidates" through talk radio and a book slated for release this year. © Copyright by the Boston Herald and Herald Media.