Who's In the Race

Democratic Gov. Maura Healey is seeking a second term in Massachusetts against Republican Michael Minogue in the Nov. 3 general election, defending a governorship she flipped from Republican control four years ago in a state where Democrats have maintained a substantial electoral advantage. ​

Healey ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. Minogue won the Republican primary with 75.6% of the vote, defeating former state transportation official Brian Shortsleeve by approximately 51 percentage points. Minogue received 194,758 votes to Shortsleeve's 62,161. Former state Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy did not appear on the primary ballot.

Endorsements

Healey has drawn support from state and party officials heading into the general election. Her endorsers include state education official Paul DePalo, who serves on the Massachusetts Governor's Council. The Massachusetts Democratic Party has also endorsed Healey.

Minogue earned the endorsement of the Massachusetts Republican Party and former state Republican Party Chair Jim Lyons. The Log Cabin Republicans also endorsed Minogue for the general election.

Race Outlook: Ratings and Polling

The three major race-rating outlets classify Massachusetts' governor's race as safely Democratic, consistent with the state's recent voting history and the polling available ahead of Election Day. The Cook Political Report and Inside Elections rate the race Solid Democratic, while Sabato's Crystal Ball rates it Safe Democratic. The Legis1 consensus rating was Solid Democratic as of Oct. 23.

Polling aggregated by Legis1 through Oct. 18 showed Healey leading Minogue 56% to 34%, a 22-point margin. More recent polling has also shown Healey ahead. A RealClearPolitics average covering surveys conducted through Oct. 31 showed Healey at 57% and Minogue at 33.3%, a 23.7-point difference. Both averages indicate a narrower Democratic margin than Kamala Harris' approximately 25-point victory in Massachusetts in the 2024 presidential election, although differences in candidates, turnout, and survey methodology limit direct comparisons.

Previous Elections

Massachusetts has voted Democratic by wide margins in recent presidential elections, although Republicans have also won statewide gubernatorial contests. In the 2024 presidential election, Massachusetts backed Democrat Kamala Harris with 61.2% of the vote, compared with 36% for Republican Donald Trump, a margin of approximately 25 percentage points.

In the 2022 governor's race, Healey defeated Republican Geoff Diehl by 725,060 votes, receiving 1,584,403 votes, or 63.7%, to Diehl's 859,343 votes, or 34.6%. The victory flipped the governorship from Republican to Democratic control after Republican Charlie Baker chose not to seek a third term. Healey's approximately 29-point margin exceeded Harris' presidential margin two years later.

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