At the Mattapoisett Democratic Town Committee’s meeting on Saturday, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley gave three reasons why she’s running for governor this November: the economy, education and healthcare.

Coakley acknowledged that her failed run in the 2010 special election to fill the late Edward Kennedy's U.S. Senate seat was a learning experience, but said she’s more than ready and qualified to take over for Gov. Deval Patrick, who is not seeking re-election.

In her eighth year as attorney general, Coakley said she has the record to back up her bid for governor, noting that her office has challenged the Defense of Marriage Act, big banks and Wall Street.

“You need to look at what people have done, what is their level of accomplishment in service,” she said.

Coakley said she wants to engage all the players.

“When we have an issue in Massachusetts, I bring in the business community, activists, and I bring in our not-for-profits,” she said. “I don’t sit in a corner office and make decisions about how things should work.”

The economy has to work for everyone, said Coakley. She said she would push for a higher minimum wage and for supporting hard workers on the lower end of the pay scale.

Education goes hand in hand with the economy, the attorney general said.

“If we’re going to keep this economy moving and get everybody employed, we need to transform our education system,” she said. That includes early pre-Kindergarten programs and paying attention to the needs of children throughout their school careers.

“We need to give all of our kids that opportunity to do their best in school, to be healthy, to be well,” Coakley said.

If elected, Coakley also plans to continue her focus on healthcare, from diagnosing illnesses sooner to alleviating the stigma against mental health problems.

Coakley also fielded questions from the audience that gathered at the Mattapoisett Library.

Two people asked about her stance on the South Coast Rail project to bring a train from Boston to the South Coast.

Like Gov. Patrick, she said, “I support it. It’s not if we can pay for it, it’s how we can pay for it.”

She also responded to a question about the rising cost of healthcare for municipalities, saying she wanted to do more to cut costs and to hold government employees to the same standards as the private sector.

Overall, Coakley’s plea to the crowd was to help her get the word out about her run for governor.

“I need your help. I need your support,” said Coakley. “We’re going to have a tough race ahead.”