Come November, voters will be choosing between Democrat Maura Healey — currently the commonwealth’s attorney general — and Republican Geoff Diehl — former state representative from Whitman.
Pundits cast the race pitting Diehl against an historic all-female ticket lead by the out LGBTQ Healey, as a “referendum on Trumpism” in Massachusetts.
Healey focused on her past bipartisan approach to the attorney general’s office and saluted the leadership of Gov. Charlie Baker, thanking him for his service to the state.
“Gov. Baker has led with respect and worked with both parties,” she told supporters during her victory speech Tuesday night. “He’s refused to engage in the politics of division and destruction that we’ve seen across this country.”
She said her campaign would be about making the state more affordable, growing the economy toward opportunity for all and protection of reproductive freedom.
Diehl focused on the state’s population loss and the focus on big government over individual freedom, calling Healey “the people’s worst nightmare” leading the state down a path of higher taxes and radical legislation.
“With this campaign we are going to be redefining politics as usual here in Massachusetts,” Diehl said, noting he appreciated opponent Chris Doughty’s call conceding the race, and pledging to “work together to defeat a radical attorney general who wants to be our governor.”
Diehl pledged “for the first time” to run a campaign toward November focused on “we the people — our freedoms, our rights and our prosperity.” He also pledged support for empowering parents to keep Healey’s “political agenda out of the classroom.”
Diehl has been endorsed by Donald Trump, who said in his remarks to Diehl’s supporters Monday that Diehl would “rule your state with an iron fist.”
Turnout was 22.5 percent of Whitman’s 11,239 voters and 26 percent of Hanson’s 8,170 voters.
“Primaries really don’t do that well, but we’ll see,” said Michael Ganshirt of the Whitman Town Clerk’s Office, who estimated turnout would be about 20 percent.
Locally, Healey won Whitman by 1,144 votes to Sonia Chang-Diaz’s 142 votes, while Diehl carried his home town with 969 votes to Chris Doughty’s 241. In Hanson, Healey garnered 880 votes to Chang-Diaz’s 15 and Diehl won with 881 votes to Doughty’s 268.
For Lieutenant governor, things were more dramatic over the course of the evening as the also-rans started the evening as state leaders in early voting, but eventually, Diehl’s running mate Leah Allen took 681 votes in Hanson to Kate Campanale’s 372; and in Whitman, Allen won with 801 votes to Campanale’s 321.
On the Democratic side, Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll won Whitman with 673 votes to state Sen. Eric Lesser’s 375 and Tami Gouveia’s 189. In Hanson, Driscoll garnered 516 votes to Lesser’s 290 and Gouveia’s 116.
In her victory speech, Healey saluted outgoing Gov. Charlie Baker’s leadership on behalf of Massachusetts.
Local Democrats were looking for executive experience in a lieutenant governor, according to Whitman Select Board member Justin Evans, as he held signs for Democratic candidates near Town Hall.
“I think she is a quintessential executive,” said attorney Chris DOrio. “If she were asked to take over for the governor, she sits in the chair and gets the job done. Her exective experience is what really drives me. She turned Salem around in her term there and I think she could do the same in the Corner Office one day if Maura Healey decides to move up or move out, I think Kim does a great job as governor, too.”
Diorio was also waging what he termed a “rather quixotic effort” online to garner write-in votes for Plymouth County Sheriff, needing 1,000 votes to attain that goal. At presstime, it was not clear whether his four-day social media campaign was successful.
“I got into this race because I believe in Massachusetts. We have the best people, innovation and know-how in the world. As Governor, I want to harness that potential, bring people together and build a state where every person and every business can thrive,” Healey said in a statement after she carried the Democratic primary. “Thank you to every voter who believed in that vision and made their voices heard in the primary. Thank you to every volunteer and supporter who put in the hard work to get us on this path to making history. We’re going to spend the next two months getting after it to earn every vote. This is a campaign for everyone.”
“I am tremendously humbled and honored to have received your support at the polls today,” Diehl told a cheering crowd in Weymouth. “Now, it’s on to the general election.”
There were trouble spots during the day’s voting:
• Uncontested races on both sides of the political spectrum up and down the ballot across the state;
• Polls having to stay open until midnight in Barnstable because a vault where ballots were stored for security could not be opened; and
• At least one voter, who declined to be identified charging that a sign-holder for the DA Tim Cruz campaign at the East Bridgewater school complex told them polls in East Bridgewater had closed at 6 p.m., dissuading them from voting.
“That did not happen,” said Cruz Campaign Manager Patrick Nestor on Wednsday morning. “I was there and none of our people acted that way.”
Pundits cast the race pitting Diehl against an historic all-female ticket lead by the out LGBTQ Healy, as a “referendum on Trumpism” in Massachusetts.
Healy focused on her past bipartisan approach to the attorney general’s office and saluted the leadership of Gov. Charlie Baker, thanking him for his service to the state.
“Gov. Baker has led with respect and worked with both parties,” she told supporters during her victory speech Tuesday night. “He’s refused to engage in the politics of division and destruction that we’ve seen across this country.”
She said her campaign would be about making the state more affordable, growing the economy toward opportunity for all and protection of reproductive freedom.
Diehl focused on the state’s population loss and the focus on big government over individual freedom, calling Healy “the people’s worst nightmare” leading the state down a path of higher taxes and radical legislation.
“With this campaign we are going to be redefining politics as usual here in Massachusetts,” Diehl said, noting he appreciated opponent Chris Doughty’s call conceding the race, and pledging to “work together to defeat a radical attorney general who wants to be our governor.”
Diehl pledged “for the first time” to run a campaign toward November focused on “we the people — our freedoms, our rights and our prosperity.” He also pledged support for empowering parents to keep Healy’s “political agenda out of the classroom.”
Diehl has been endorsed by Donald Trump, who said in his remarks to Diehl’s supporters Monday that Diehl would “rule your state with an iron fist.”
Turnout was 22.5 percent of Whitman’s 11,239 voters and 26 percent of Hanson’s 8,170 voters.
“Primaries really don’t do that well, but we’ll see,” said Michael Ganshirt of the Whitman Town Clerk’s Office, who estimated turnout would be about 20 percent.
Locally, Healy won Whitman by 1,144 votes to Sonia Chang-Diaz’s 142 votes, while Diehl carried his home town with 969 votes to Chris Doughty’s 241. In Hanson, Healy garnered 880 votes to Chang-Diaz’s 15 and Diehl won with 881 votes to Doughty’s 268.
For Lieutenant governor, things were more dramatic over the course of the evening as the also-rans started the evening as state leaders in early voting, but eventually, Diehl’s running mate Leah Allen took 681 votes in Hanson to Kate Campanale’s 372; and in Whitman, Allen won with 801 votes to Campanale’s 321.
On the Democratic side, Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll won Whitman with 673 votes to state Sen. Eric Lesser’s 375 and Tami Gouveia’s 189. In Hanson, Driscoll garnered 516 votes to Lesser’s 290 and Gouveia’s 116.
In her victory speech, Healy saluted outgoing Gov. Charlie Baker’s leadership on behalf of Massachusetts.
Local Democrats were looking for executive experience in a lieutenant governor, according to Whitman Select Board member Justin Evans, as he held signs for Democratic candidates near Town Hall.
“I think she is a quintessential executive,” said attorney Chris DOrio. “If she were asked to take over for the governor, she sits in the chair and gets the job done. Her exective experience is what really drives me. She turned Salem around in her term there and I think she could do the same in the Corner Office one day if Maura Healy decides to move up or move out, I think Kim does a great job as governor, too.”
Diorio was also waging what he termed a “rather quixotic effort” online to garner write-in votes for Plymouth County Sheriff, needing 1,000 votes to attain that goal. At presstime, it was not clear whether his four-day social media campaign was successful.
“I got into this race because I believe in Massachusetts. We have the best people, innovation and know-how in the world. As Governor, I want to harness that potential, bring people together and build a state where every person and every business can thrive,” Healy said in a statement after she carried the Democratic primary. “Thank you to every voter who believed in that vision and made their voices heard in the primary. Thank you to every volunteer and supporter who put in the hard work to get us on this path to making history. We’re going to spend the next two months getting after it to earn every vote. This is a campaign for everyone.”
“I am tremendously humbled and honored to have received your support at the polls today,” Diehl told a cheering crowd in Weymouth. “Now, it’s on to the general election.”
There were trouble spots during the day’s voting:
• Uncontested races on both sides of the political spectrum up and down the ballot across the state;
• Polls having to stay open until midnight in Barnstable because a vault where ballots were stored for security could not be opened; and
• At least one voter, who declined to be identified charging that a sign-holder for the DA Tim Cruz campaign at the East Bridgewater school complex told them polls in East Bridgewater had closed at 6 p.m., dissuading them from voting.
“That did not happen,” said Cruz Campaign Manager Patrick Nestor on Wednsday morning. “I was there and none of our people acted that way.”