Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Minogue will challenge Democratic Gov. Maura Healey in the general election in November after taking in 79.7% of the vote to challenger Brian Shortsleeve’s 29.4% on Tuesday, according to early unofficial tallies.
The Associated Press, which tracks voter returns closely, called the race for Minogue at about 8:45 p.m.
“I want to thank all of you. I want thank you for setting up the RTC meetings, for knocking on the doors, for putting up the signs, for posting social media, and having the courage to recruit your friends. Thank you so much for that. Thank you. This is more than a campaign, this is a movement. This is something we did together,” Minogue said to a packed room of supporters chanting his name at the Great American Beer Hall in Medford.
“Massachusetts is working for some, but not all. Now I stand before you excited to lead, committed to serve, and honored to accept the nomination for Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” he continued. “So tonight, tonight, we celebrate something bigger than a campaign. Tonight, we celebrate the people of Massachusetts. We celebrate the parents who stand up for their children. We celebrate teachers who show up every morning ready to change a life. We celebrate nurses who make sure their patients get the care they need. We celebrate small business owners who refuse to give up.”
Heading into a general election matchup against Gov. Maura Healey, Minogue will have to fend off attacks painting him as a Trump ally and sympathizer, or “MAGA Mike,” as Healey refers to him in campaign ads.
Healey has been gearing her campaign for a November matchup against Minogue for months, framing Minogue as a supporter of the worst aspects of Trump’s nationwide illegal immigration crackdown.
Healey’s campaign released an email to supporters immediately after Minogue’s win was announced, listing the different causes and policies tied to President Trump that they say Minogue supports.
“It’s official, Mike Minogue just won the Republican primary for governor. We wanted to take a moment to remind you of everything he stands for,” the campaign email said.
“He’s proudly anti-abortion. He supports ICE and its dangerous and deadly tactics. He’s bankrolled Trump’s agenda — and even hosted a fundraiser for JD Vance at his home a month before the 2024 election. He wants to bring MAGA to Massachusetts,” it said.
The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) called Minogue a “MAGA puppet” in a statement released following his victory Tuesday, echoing Healey’s message.
“Mike Minogue is a MAGA puppet who is running for governor to bring Donald Trump’s dangerous, cost-raising agenda to Beacon Hill. Minogue’s record couldn’t be more disqualifying: he’s a Republican mega donor who spent millions bankrolling Donald Trump, JD Vance, and extreme Republicans across the country.,” the DGA said. “Bay Staters need a governor to defend them against the Trump administration’s ruthless attacks – not an anti-choice, extreme MAGA Trump donor. Minogue is for MAGA, not Massachusetts, and the DGA looks forward to Gov. Maura Healey’s second term.”
The sizable win was in step with Minogue’s landslide victory at the Massachusetts Republican Convention, where he took home a whopping 70.3% of the vote from delegates.
Shortsleeve had just barely qualified for the ballot by a hair, collecting slightly over 15% of the vote and just squeezing by the 15% threshold required to qualify the September ballot.
“Thank you to every single person who believed in our mission for Massachusetts and put their blood, sweat, and tears into what we built together. To everyone who knocked doors, made phone calls, held signs, hosted events, donated, volunteered, and stood with us through beautiful New England days, freezing cold mornings, and sweltering summer afternoons: I will never be able to fully express how grateful I am,” Shortsleeve said shortly after the results came out, going on to endorse Minogue for governor and calling on all Republicans to unite around him.
“Tonight, I am proud to endorse Mike Minogue for governor. He has my full support, and I am asking everyone who supported our campaign to join me in supporting him. 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,” he said.
Mingoue’s victory brings to a close a campaign that grew to be heated between Shortsleeve and Minogue, with the Shortsleeve campaign leading the charge in attack ads and statements attacking the opposing candidate. Most of the attacks focused on Minogue’s refusal to accept numerous debate challenges
The two GOP campaigns also sparred over Shortsleeve’s running-mate, Lt, Gov. candidate Shawn Oliver, consolidated a legal effort with the Massachusetts Democratic Party to disqualify then-fellow Republican candidate Anne Manning Martin from the September ballot over what she and others call an apparent signature collection fraud scheme.
Minogue, along with the MassGOP, the state’s two RNC committee members, and other Republicans across Massachusetts had criticized Shortsleeve and Oliver for working with the Democratic Party to disqualify a fellow Republican.
Minogue, a self-made billionaire and first-time political candidate, brings decades of experience from the private sector as the former CEO of Abiomed – a successful medical technology acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 2022 – leading the company for nearly two decades.
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