Checking in with Mass. political reporters ahead of Election Day
Tucked away in a corner of the Massachusetts State House is where the press corps goes to file their reports. Political chatter is the soundtrack of the press room, and as Nov. 3 nears, the governor’s race is firmly in focus.
@Issue spoke with Katie Lannan of MASSterList, Chris Van Buskirk from the Boston Globe and Axios Boston’s Mike Deehan to look back on a fierce campaign season, starting with what worked well for Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Minogue.
“He hammered home his key points and brought up some new ones, like the education funding issue that really wasn’t on too many radars here in Massachusetts,” said Deehan.
“There’s a lot of branding that’s eye-catching, from shirts that riff on Zyn to Market Basket, to Dunkin’ Donuts,” said Lannan.
“The one thing that caught me off guard this cycle with Minogue is the ease with which he walked into the Republican Party, the local Republican Party, and just basically took it over,” said Van Buskirk.
As for Democratic Gov. Maura Healey, much of her campaign was centered on tying Minogue to President Donald Trump.
“Trump is unpopular here,” said Lannan. “The other big thing is that it’s expensive to live here, and Maura Healey has tried to knit those two things together.”
Should Healey win reelection, affordability will continue to be a focal point for voters, but some on our panel stop short of calling it a mandate.
“I think we’ll have to see what the final tally looks like on election night, you know, whether we call it a mandate or not,” said Van Buskirk.
“The governor is going into this with an agenda that she’s carried for four years,” said Deehan. “Instead of a mandate, her reelection would be more consent by the voters to continue that agenda.”
While we wait for voters to make their decision, the reporters are also keeping an eye beyond Massachusetts to the races that could shape power in Congress.
“I know that a lot of people in the state house are watching what happens in Maine,” said Lannan.
“I would definitely extend that to New Hampshire, some of the key races there,” said Deehan.
“As a former Texas, I suppose, James Talarico and Ken Paxton for Senate,” said Van Buskirk.
Tune in Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. for our extended @Issue Sit Down reporter roundtable with Deehan, Lannan and Van Buskirk.
Decision 2026
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