Jim Lyons, right, newly elected chairman of the Massachusetts Republican Party, stands with Tom Mountain, chairman of the Newton City Republican Committee, after Lyons's victory on Thursday, January 17, 2019. The two have been at odds in recent times. Mountain did not support Lyons's re-election as chairman of the party in January 2021, and he supported a so-far-unsuccessful effort to get Lyons to resign recently over his handing of two email messages sent by another state committee member objecting to adoption of children by same-sex couples. Photo courtesy of Tom Mountain.
Former state representative Jim Lyons won an upset victory to become chairman of the Massachusetts Republican Party on Thursday night.
Lyons, who was the most conservative member of the state Legislature before losing a re-election bid this past November, won the state party committee vote 47-30 over Brent Anderson, the party treasurer, who was widely considered the establishment candidate.
