The Massachusetts Republican Party is announcing its planned guests for the 2026 convention on Saturday, naming CEO of The Babylon Bee Seth Dillon as the keynote speaker while also announcing that singer and songwriter Carly Tefft will perform the national anthem.
“With razor-sharp wit and fearless commentary, Seth has built a cultural phenomenon that cuts through the noise by saying what others won’t. Under his leadership, The Babylon Bee has become a powerhouse voice in media, using satire to expose truth and challenge the status quo,” said MassGOP Executive Director Hayley Jones.
“But Seth isn’t just entertaining, he’s on the front lines. From censorship battles to high-profile deplatforming fights, he has emerged as a leading advocate for free speech in America. His message is bold, timely, and guaranteed to energize anyone who cares about the future of open dialogue,” she said.
Dillon purchased The Babylon Bee in 2018 from its founder, Adam Ford, and kept its headquarters in Jupiter, Fla., eventually gaining full control of the website. Dillon is credited with leading a substantial growth in readership at the site, with the satirical publication becoming one of the most consumed conservative websites in the country.
Meanwhile, singer and songwriter Carly Tefft will perform the national anthem at the event. Tefft gained national attention in the summer of 2023 after a Cape Cod restaurant refused to allow her to perform after realizing she had previously performed at a campaign rally for President Trump, then a candidate, in New Hampshire.
“The Massachusetts Republican Party is proud to announce Carly Tefft: a Cape Cod-born, Nashville-based singer-songwriter and Berklee alum known for her powerful vocals and redheaded rock-and-roll energy, will be singing the National Anthem at our state convention,” the MassGOP said in a post to its official Facebook page.
The release of Saturday’s lineup for the convention comes as the MassGOP looks to draw as much attention to the event and the several statewide and local races in the 2026 election.
Most notably, three Republican candidates are vying for the GOP nomination: Mike Kennealy, Brian Shortsleeve, and Mike Minogue. Lt. Gov. candidates Anne Manning Martin and Shawn Oliver have joined the Kennealy and Shortsleeve campaigns, respectively, with candidate Anne Brensley not having joined a campaign. Minogue announced earlier this month that he has not selected a running mate and is waiting for the delegates to nominate a Lt. Gov. candidate, but did publicly back Brensley’s campaign.
Lynnfield-based attorney Michael Walsh is running to unseat Democratic Attorney General Andrea Campbell in the general election in November. Both Campbell and Walsh have no primary challengers.
Running to unseat incumbent Democratic state Treasurer Deb Goldberg is Belmont Select Board member Elizabeth Dionne, who is the only Republican candidate running for the office. Goldberg has served four terms as Treasurer since 2015.
On the federal level, Republican John Deaton is running unopposed in the primary election in a bid to unseat Democratic incumbent Sen. Ed Markey. The MassGOP voted to endorse Deaton back in November — one sponsored by Geoff Diehl — the former Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in 2018 and for governor in 2022. Deaton throws himself back into the political arena one year after an unsuccessful campaign to unseat Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
The 2026 Massachusetts Republican Convention will be held at the DCU Center in Worcester on Saturday.
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