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Massachusetts’ 2026 governor’s race is officially set — and the primary delivered little surprise.
Gov. Maura Healey got the Democratic nomination Tuesday with no opposition, while heavily favored businessman Mike Minogue emerged as the Republican nominee. Heading into November, most polls show Healey with a significant advantage.
In front of a crowd chanting his name, Minogue took to the stage and thanked his supporters and his family just minutes after being named the Republican nominee for governor. Minogue beat out Brian Shortsleeve, he called on Shortsleeve’s voters to listen to his message and join him in the general.
“I want to speak to everyone who didn’t vote for me today: You have a home here,” said Minogue.
As of 10:16 p.m., with 38% of the vote counted, Minogue was leading Shortsleeve with 76% of the vote.
Minogue spoke about his time in the Army, and his time as a health care tech CEO and how raising his family in Massachusetts has shaped his love for the state. But he says he knows that going up against Healey won’t be a simple task.
“The next two months are not going to be easy, but this is about serving a purpose bigger than ourselves,” Minogue said. “I am not afraid of hard things.”
He warns voters not to pay attention to the negative ads that he expects to come from Healey’s team but instead focus on his message.
“The problem isn’t our people, the problem is that our state government is smothering the American dream,” he said. “Massachusetts is working for some, but not for all and we are going to change that.
“I am humbled by your nomination, and for those watching, I’m asking for your vote in November,” he said.
Mike Minogue won the party’s nomination at the convention back in April, but Shortsleeve continued to run against him in the primary election. Minogue refused to debate him. Instead, back in July, he told GBH’s Boston Public Radio that he was setting his sights on the general election.
Shortsleeve conceded the race Tuesday and endorsed Minogue, writing in a statement, “Now is the time to come together. We need to unite Republicans, independents and earn the support of Democrats who know Massachusetts needs a change. Let’s unite behind Mike Minogue, grow this movement, and defeat Maura Healey in November.”
Now that results are in, Minogue can more officially focus on incumbent Healey — who also won her nomination tonight, running unopposed for her second term in office.
Addressing a small crowd of energized supporters at the IBEW Union Hall in Dorchester, Healey framed the race ahead as a battle against President Donald Trump and those who stand with him.
“Mike Minogue supports Donald Trump’s agenda that is raising your costs and killing Massachusetts jobs. He’s pro-ICE and anti-choice,” Healey said. “Look, Donald Trump is gonna be president for two more years. Who your governor is right now matters more than ever.”
Several supporters who came to the Healey-Driscoll event said, even though the result was no surprise, just showing up at this moment in history mattered.
Paulette Lawrence, a hospital worker from Dorchester admitted she’d been exhausted after work, but said she knew she had to show up.
“These are serious times,” she said. “I feel like I want to show my face. I want people to join in.”
Adrianne Jordan, a teacher’s union representative, said she’d come to support Healey and her running mate, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, describing them as “two dynamite women.”
“They’ve brought us a long way, and I want to continue that fight with them,” Jordan said.
Polling has shown an interesting disconnect among voters for Healey: Massachusetts voters remain deeply concerned about housing and the cost of living, but that frustration hasn’t translated into broad dissatisfaction with the governor.
A recent University of New Hampshire poll found about 50% approve of Healey’s job performance, even as majorities disapprove of her handling of housing and the cost of living - the state’s top concerns. According to that poll, Healey holds a wide lead over her Republican challenger Minogue. On Wednesday night she made it clear she will continue to hammer her opponent’s ties to Trump.
“In this election, we’re going to send a message — that if you support Donald Trump, if you funded him, if you endorse the bad things he’s doing to our state, then you can not be governor of Massachusetts,” Healey said.
