Democrat Maura Healey won reelection as governor of Massachusetts, defeating Republican Michael Minogue, the Associated Press projected within minutes of polls closing. An early AP snapshot showed Healey with 82.9 percent, Minogue with 12.8 percent, and Independent Andrea James with 4.4 percent. Cheers erupted in a Boston hotel ballroom when networks called the race, while boos met the result at Minogue’s watch party in Burlington and his live feed was turned off. Healey’s campaign framed the race around standing up to President Donald Trump and labeled Minogue “MAGA Mike,” while the campaign shifted responsibility for high energy prices and affordability onto Trump. Minogue’s campaign emphasized affordability, accountability, and alleged corruption in the Healey administration, citing the arrest and hiring of former aide LaMar Cook and a $2 billion Springfield courthouse contract. By 9 p.m. neither candidate had addressed supporters at their respective watch parties.
