Election Day is coming up on Nov. 8 and there is a crucial election nationwide; the stakes for statewide elections in Massachusetts are high as well. This year there are four ballot initiatives for voters to watch as well as state, local and national elections. This year could be especially promising for Massachusetts women on the ballot who could win as many as six races in November. Here is who is on the ballot:
Governor:
Current Governor Charlie Baker announced he would be finishing out his second term and not seeking re-election. Governor Baker has also decided not to endorse a candidate to replace himself. There are three candidates vying for governorship. Democratic candidate Maura Healey, Massachusetts Attorney General since 2014, has been leading in the polls. If elected, Healey would make history by being the state’s first elected female governor and the first openly lesbian governor in the country. Moreover, Healey is poised to make history with her chosen lieutenant governor, Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll, as the two would be the first-ever female governor/lieutenant governor pair in the United States if elected. Healey is running against Trump-backed candidate Geoff Diehl. Diehl ran an unsuccessful Senate campaign against Elizabeth Warren in 2018 and co-chaired Trump’s 2016 campaign in Massachusetts. Healey cites her campaign priorities as criminal justice reform, protecting reproductive freedoms, and voting rights, and wants to build an economy where families in Massachusetts can thrive. Diehl cites his priorities as voting against COVID-19 mandates, lowering the cost of living, and building what he calls a “parents bill of rights.”
Massachusetts Attorney General:
Former Boston City Council President Andrea Campbell and Trial Attorney Jay McMahon are facing off to take Healey’s seat as the Massachusetts Attorney General. Macmahon has a background in law enforcement. McMahon pledges to end the current “wokeness” in Healey’s attorney general office. McMahon was also the Republican nominee for Attorney General in 2018 but lost to Healey. Campbell ran for Mayor of Boston in 2021 and then decided to run for attorney general, and said she hopes to make the role of the attorney general, “an advocate for fundamental change and progress.”
Auditor :
State Auditor Suzanne Bump decided not to seek reelection. State Senator Diana DiZoglio (D-Methuen) and Republican Anthony Amore are both vying for the position. Amore is the only statewide candidate endorsed by Governor Charlie Baker, who was recently named the most popular Governor in the United States. Amore cites himself as being a much-needed “Republican watchdog on Beacon Hill.” It’s important to know, that court records show that Amore’s ex-wife filed for a restraining order during their divorce in 2009 citing emotional and verbal abuse. The Democratic candidate DiZoglio has been a representative in the Massachusetts State Senate for two terms and is prioritizing limiting the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) on Beacon Hill. DiZoglio also plans to fight for accountability and transparency for the people of Massachusetts.
Secretary of State:
Current Secretary of State William Galvin is seeking his eighth term in office and has two challengers. Galvin was elected in 1995 and is advocating for free and fair elections. Galvin actively criticized former President Trump’s false claims of election fraud in the 2020 elections. Prior to being Secretary of State, Galvin served eight terms in the Massachusetts House, beginning in 1975, and if elected, could pass the previous record set by Former Secretary Frederic Cook’s record 28-year tenure in the secretary’s office. Galvin is challenged by Republican Rayla Campbell and Juan Sanchez of the Green-Rainbow Party. Campbell is running on the platform of creating a new voice in the office and providing oversight for elections. Sanchez plans to make elections more accessible by providing electoral information in multiple languages and wants to work towards more progressive campaign finance reform.
Congress
In MA-2, Representative and Chairman of the House rules committee Jim McGovern is seeking re-election. McGovern was first elected in 2013 and serves most of Western Massachusetts from Worcester to Northampton. McGovern is being challenged by Republican candidate Jeffrey Sossa-Paquette, who owns a childcare business in Worcester County.
