Massachusetts Ballots: Healey seeks second term against Minogue

Massachusetts voters cast their ballots on Tuesday in a contest for the governorship that features incumbent Democrat Maura Healey and Republican challenger Mike Minogue. Healey, seeking a second term, planned to vote at Hardy Elementary School in Arlington in the morning. Minogue, who had already cast his ballot during the early voting period, faces a race that also includes independent candidate Andrea James.

Polls leading up to the election showed Healey maintaining a wide lead over her opponents. Minogue, a U.S. Army veteran and former CEO of medical device firm Abiomed, secured the Republican nomination and financed a large portion of his campaign with personal funds. The campaign grew contentious as Healey repeatedly connected Minogue to President Donald Trump, citing Minogue's fundraising efforts for the president in 2024.

During two televised debates, Minogue criticized Healey's management of the state's affordability crisis. The candidates also exchanged remarks regarding a proposal to suspend a specific policy and an endorsement from the Massachusetts State Police union. Minogue argued the union supported Healey to secure a better contract. Healey dismissed that claim, prompting Minogue to clarify that his primary concern was with Healey, not the troopers.

Minogue ran on a joint ticket with New Bedford City Councilor, who sought the lieutenant governor position. Oliver suspended his campaign last month following a charge filed on October 17. Minogue stated that if he won the governorship, Oliver would not serve as his lieutenant governor.

Healey became the first woman to hold the governorship in Massachusetts in 2022. She previously served two terms as the state's attorney general. Her election in 2022 made her and Oregon's Tina Kotek the first two women to serve as governors in the United States.