The midterm race, or the race in between presidential election years, is coming up fast. Election day will be November 8th, 2022. Many important state offices are up for election, including Secretary of State, Governor, and State Treasurer. The most important race by far, however, is the race for Governor. 

What about Charlie Baker?

With popular incumbent Governor Charlie Baker (R) announcing that he will not seek a third term, the door has been left open for both another republican nominee, and much to the republican’s chagrin, a democratic nominee. Baker has enjoyed widespread, bipartisan support from both democrats and republicans in Massachusetts. Baker has been an outspoken critic of Donald Trump, and many of the further-right republicans here in Massachusetts. 

Who is Running?

The candidate for the democrats is Maura Healey. Healey currently serves as the state Attorney General, having first been elected in 2014, and once more in 2018. Prior to being elected, she served under former Attorney General Martha Coakley (D) in the Civil Rights Division. Healey helped lead the charge against the Defense of Marriage Act (mandated that marriage be between a man and woman only), and was victorious, with Massachusetts being the first state to legalize same-sex marriage in 2015. Throughout her tenure as Attorney General, she sparred continuously with former President Donald Trump about several key issues, namely immigration, abortion, and gun rights. Healey made it a point to ban the manufacturing of assault weapons in Massachusetts, and has done her part to ensure that Massachusetts has been and will continue to be a safe place for abortion. Healey is a moderate democrat, priding herself on her ability to work across the aisle, specifically with governor Charlie Baker for nearly 8 years. She supports criminal justice reform, LGBTQ+ rights, abortion, voting rights, as well as combating the climate crisis. If elected, Healey will be the first elected female governor in Massachusetts, the first openly gay governor in Massachusetts, and one of the first gay governors in the United States.

The candidate for the republicans is Geoff Diehl. Currently, Diehl holds no political office. In the past however, he has served as representative in the Massachusetts State House for the Plymouth-7 district, which encompasses Abington, part of east Bridgwater, and the town he lives in, Whitman. Plymouth-7 is one of the few Massachusetts districts with a republican representative to the state legislature. Diehl grew up in Pennsylvania, and moved to Los Angeles shortly after graduating from Lehigh University with a Bachelor of Arts in government and urban studies in 1992. He worked for several television production companies in the greater Los Angeles area, and then moved to Whitman in 2001. He was first elected to the Plymouth-7 district in 2010, and served until his last term ended in 2019. In 2018, he ran against Elizabeth Warren (D) for senator, and lost, only garnering 36% of the vote. Diehl worked on the gas tax question in 2014, which would adjust gas tax to inflation. The measure, Diehl’s side, passed. Diehl has been an outspoken advocate of former President Donald Trump, however he acknowledges that Joe Biden did in fact win the 2020 Presidential Election. He has been endorsed by Trump, with Trump saying Diehl would rule Massachusetts “with an iron fist.” Diehl aligns with republicans on most issues, such as anti-Covid mask and vaccine mandates, however is fairly middle of the road on certain issues, particularly those relating to the environment. On his campaign website, he acknowledges the importance of renewable energy, as well as sustainably developing as it pertains to the environment. He pledges to commit to renewable energy and energy independence. If elected, Diehl will be the 73rd governor of Massachusetts, and the 34th republican to hold the office.

Who are the Lieutenant Governor candidates?

The Lieutenant Governor serves as essentially the “vice-governor,” as they share a leadership role with the governor and step in to fulfill the Governor’s role should they become incapacitated, just like the vice president would. The lieutenant governor runs in tandem with the governor candidate from their respective party, like Charlie Baker and Karyn Polito, for example. 

The lieutenant governor candidate for the democrats is Kim Driscoll. Driscoll is currently serving her fifth term as governor of Salem, first being elected in 2005. Prior to that, she was on the Salem City Council and worked for the city of Chelsea. During her tenure as mayor, she has done much to benefit Salem. She oversaw the creation of a new MBTA station, as well as a ferry and waterfront port. She has successfully fought for LGBTQ+ anti-discrimination laws, as has also worked to invest in veterans and their benefits. Driscoll, a liberal democrat, has promised to make Massachusetts a leader in environmental sustainability, and continue to make strides in regards to civil rights. If elected, she will be the 73rd lieutenant governor of Massachusetts. 

The lieutenant governor candidate for the republicans is Leah Allen. Allen currently holds no political office, however she has served in the state legislature in the past. She represented the 12th Essex District from 2013-2015, when she resigned to focus on her other job as being a nurse. The 12th Essex District covers part of Peabody. Allen made headlines when she was fired from her job at Beverly Hospital for refusing to comply with the Covid-19 vaccine mandate. Allen has placed anti-government mandates at the forefront of her campaign, with it being one of the reasons she is running. Allen, like Diehl, embraces several core ideals of the republican party, including being anti-mandate, wanting to lower taxes, as well as imposing limits on the amount of money the state can spend. She also supports upgrading and expanding infrastructure in western Massachusetts and Cape Cod. 

Voting Information

It is important to vote to make your opinion count, and exercise your constitutional right. The election will take place on November 8th, and any general voting information can be found on the Secretary of State’s website, here.