Healey Wins Second Term as Massachusetts Governor
Maura Healey won a second term as Massachusetts governor on November 3, defeating Republican Michael Minogue in a race projected for her just after polls closed. Healey, a former attorney general, became the state’s first woman and first LGBTQ governor when she was elected in 2022.
Healey made her opposition to President Donald Trump a central theme, arguing that Minogue’s ties to the president made him a vehicle for Trump’s agenda in Massachusetts. Minogue had contributed money to Trump and organized an event to raise funds for Vice President JD Vance. Trump did not publicly endorse Minogue.
Minogue, a former medical-device executive, sought to present himself as an independent-minded outsider focused on affordability, taxes, business and oversight of state government. He put millions of dollars of his own money into his campaign. The candidates differed on abortion access and immigration enforcement, among other issues.
Healey pointed to first-term initiatives including tuition-free community college, free school meals and measures addressing housing. She also cited state actions to protect abortion access and limit where federal immigration agents could make arrests. She has said her second-term agenda includes lowering costs and energy bills, expanding housing and maintaining access to health care.
The election also returned Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, a Democrat, to office alongside Healey. Voters reelected Democratic U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, who defeated Republican John Deaton, according to projections.
Healey’s Reelection Delivers a Check on Trump in Massachusetts
Massachusetts voters reelected Maura Healey on November 3, rejecting a Republican challenger whose Trump connections became a defining issue in the campaign. The race was projected for Healey shortly after polls closed.
Healey argued that Michael Minogue would bring Trump’s agenda to the state, pointing to his donations to the president and a fundraiser he hosted for Vice President JD Vance. Her campaign emphasized the stakes for abortion access and the state’s response to federal immigration enforcement. Trump did not publicly endorse Minogue.
The contest also tested Healey’s record on the state’s cost pressures. She highlighted first-term efforts including free school meals, tuition-free community college and housing measures, while pledging to work on energy bills, affordability and access to health care in a second term.
Minogue, a wealthy former medical-device executive, described himself as an outsider and focused on taxes, business and state-government oversight. But his effort to separate himself from Trump did not overcome Healey’s argument that his political ties mattered to Massachusetts.
Healey’s reelection, alongside Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, preserves Democratic leadership in the governor’s office as the state confronts the policies and actions of the Trump administration. Democrat Ed Markey also won reelection to the U.S. Senate, according to projections.
Healey Wins Again After Making Trump the Center of Her Campaign
Maura Healey secured a second term as Massachusetts governor on November 3, defeating Michael Minogue after making the race a test of voters’ views on President Donald Trump. The contest was projected for Healey shortly after polls closed.
Healey repeatedly linked Minogue to Trump, citing his donations to the president and a fundraiser he hosted for Vice President JD Vance. Minogue argued he could work across party lines and presented himself as an outsider focused on affordability, taxes, business and transparency. Trump did not publicly endorse him.
The campaign’s focus on Trump competed with questions about costs and energy bills in Massachusetts. Healey promoted her first-term record, including free school meals, tuition-free community college and housing initiatives, while saying she would continue working to lower costs and expand housing.
The candidates also clashed over abortion access and immigration enforcement. Healey backed expanded state abortion protections and opposed actions by the Trump administration that she considered harmful. Minogue called for cooperation on immigration enforcement and identified as pro-life, but did not say he would repeal Healey’s abortion protections.
Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, both Democrats, won reelection. Democrat Ed Markey also won another Senate term, according to projections.
Reported by WBUR, The Boston Globe, Boston.com, GBH News.
