In an already “blue” state like Massachusetts, last night’s results translated to decisive wins for statewide candidates – though as WAMC reports, that didn’t mean a total wipeout in some local races.
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While attendees were still gathering at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston Tuesday night, cheering broke out as CNN announced Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey was projected to win her race, just minutes after polls closed.
The news was quick and came between updates on other, more competitive gubernatorial contests in the country, but the mood never changed after that.
In almost the same breath, Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey’s race was also called – spelling out a night that would see Democrats in the commonwealth win fast and by large margins.
“I just spoke with my opponent, John Deaton, and John Deaton pledged his support in helping come together for the country we all love - I look forward to working with him to do the best for our Commonwealth and our nation,” said Markey, before calling for his party to tackle and support causes like universal wages, reproductive freedom and his transgender bill of rights.
By 11 a.m. Wednesday, with 90% of votes counted, Markey appeared to have almost doubled Deaton’s vote total – about 1.5 million votes so far.
It was a similar margin and total for Healey. The incumbent governor had campaigned hard on pledging to make Massachusetts more affordable, while pointing to what her administration had already accomplished.
The end result – a second term.
“I'm so grateful to you and now we've got more to do,” the governor said during her victory speech. “Most of all, I want to thank every person across the state, who took the time to tell me their stories, their joys, their pains, their challenges - I want you to know it's your stories that drive me.”
“Tonight, I spoke with an opponent - I wished him well,” the governor continued. “… to those who supported my opponents in this race. Here's my promise - I'll show up for you. I'll fight for you. I'll be a governor for everyone!”
As captured by Boston television station WCVB, Republican candidate Mike Minogue’s concession speech featured the former medical device CEO acknowledging his bid was always an uphill fight.
“Don’t lose your optimism. Don't stop believing that Massachusetts can be better because we know it can,” he said from his own election results watch party in Burlington, Mass. “We are not political enemies, right? We are not political enemies - I've said that from the start. We are neighbors and we want good things for our communities. This election was never about the title of governor. It's about service to people and to the working families.”
Whether it was Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell or State Treasurer Deb Goldberg’s reelection bids, statewide contests were won lopsidedly by Democrats – often by as many as 30 percentage points.
Across the state, it was the same story in the Massachusetts 1st Congressional District, where incumbent Congressman Richard Neal beat independent challenger Nadia Milleron – a rematch of their 2024 contest.
Back in Boston, with so many state races called so quickly, the attention of many turned toward the projection screen showing live results across the country.
Reactions ranged from boo’s when a Florida Senate race was called for the Republican incumbent to cheers when Democrats flipped a Senate seat in South Carolina.
For Joey Pisani of Russell, Mass., who is also president of the Suffolk University Democrats group, the Democrats’ nationwide performance was a surprise in some ways, but given rising prices, Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and cuts to food assistance programs – he said backlash may have been inevitable.
“People are hurting and I think it leads people to feel a sense of hopelessness and to feel as though there's nothing that they can do,” the political science major said. “When people get really organized in those moments of desperation, when people get really organized in those moments of hopelessness - that's when we see wins like what we're seeing tonight.”
Pisani has also did his fair share of campaign work earlier in the year – he was the communications director for the Jeromie Whalen campaign in the Massachusetts 1st Congressional District.
Also at the Fairmont Tuesday night was Springfield School Committee Member Gumersindo Gomez, who has also served as a member of the city’s Ward One Democratic Committee.
Elected to the school committee last year, Gomez said his district and city had already been dealing with various grants and aid being clawed back by the Trump administration, with some later returning.
He said with renewed majorities in Congress, plus synergy between the Massachusetts delegation and Gov. Healey – he’s upbeat.
“… Ed Markey, Maura Healey… they have never promised us miracles - they can only work with what's going on - they're doing their best, we can only hope that they will find somewhere in the budget, especially for Springfield, Mass., especially for Springfield Public Schools…” he said. “And I do have hope - I have trust and they always come through. And so, we are going to find a way, no matter what, and yeah, it is getting tough out there, but we are going to find a way.”
Back in the Pioneer Valley, with few exceptions, incumbents – both Republican and Democrats – came out on top.
2nd Hampden State Representative Brian Ashe overcame his Republican challenger Peter Warren, while Republicans Nick Boldyga and Kelly Pease of the 3rd and 4th Hampden districts respectively both won.
Fifth Hampden Democrat Pat Duffy also won comfortably against her independent challenger Jose Candelario Gonzalez, while Republican Worcester and Hampshire State Sen. Peter Durant also beat his challenger.
In the vast, rural 1st Franklin District, Democrat and Greenfield City Council President Lora Wondolowski beat Independent challenger and Whately Town Clerk Amy Lavallee. Wondolowski is slated to take up the seat vacated by former state representative and fellow Democrat, Natalie Blais.
Also in Franklin County – interim Franklin County Sheriff Lori Streeter appeared to definitively win her race against two other opponents. Streeter had replaced the previous sheriff, Chris Donelan, who retired early last year.
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Some audio for this story was provided by WCVB of Boston.
