Editor’s Note: The following is the prepared text of the speech Geoff Diehl, Republican candidate for Governor of Massachusetts, delivered to delegates at the Massachusetts Republican State Convention in Springfield, Mass. on Saturday, May 21, 2022.
KathyJo, Kaylee, Emily and I are so happy to be here with you this weekend.
We’ve been through ups and downs, through thick and thin together, and I’m proud to call each of you my friend.
However, once you step outside this arena… you know what they will call us.
“Deplorables.” “Extremists.” “Insurrectionists.” Even “terrorists.”
But we know the truth tells a different story.
We are “Republicans.” “Conservatives.” “Proud citizens of Massachusetts” and “Patriotic Americans.”
These are our real labels and we wear them with pride.
So why are progressives so afraid of us?
Is it because we love our country? Because we love our freedom? Because we love our faith?
Is it because we believe in standing for our flag and kneeling for God?
Or is it because we take great pride in our New England heritage of hard work, thrift, and self-determination?
Progressives fear us because we have the courage to stand by our convictions and to fight against their ‘great reset’ of our country.
They also know governors are the last line of defense. That’s why they consider me to be their worst nightmare – I have the courage to look them in the eye and say “no”!
Massachusetts should not be the testing ground for outrageous liberal experiments.
This is our home and you can count on me to defend it.
I’m ready, willing, and able to fight for what we believe in and I have a record to prove it.
Years ago, Teddy Roosevelt gave a speech where he referred to the “man in the arena.” His words are as appropriate today as they were back then.
He said,
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.”
You all know me. I’ve been fighting in the arena for you and your freedom for years:
I advocated for low taxes and fiscal responsibility as a member of my local town finance committee and then, as a State Representative.
I led the fight against permanent increases in the state gas tax tied to inflation – and thank goodness I did!
With today’s out-of-control inflation, if we hadn’t collected those signatures to get it on the ballot, can you imagine how much more it would cost to fill up your tank?
I challenged the Legislature to block the waste of billions of dollars in an ill-fated attempt to bring the Olympics to Boston – and it worked!
And, when it came time to take on our country’s most divisive Senator, Elizabeth Warren, I had the courage to run and call out her hypocrisy and radical agenda.
While others sat on the sidelines, selling out the hard work we Republicans put in to help Donald Trump become President in 2016, I was right here, in the arena, fighting with you, for our families and for America.
Well, I’m proud to be doing it again.
And I’m not alone. Look around us. Look at the others who are courageous enough to step forward, into the arena, and to take up the fight.
People like State Senate candidate Kari Macrae, who’s fighting for our kids and their future.
People like Shana Cottone, a Boston cop who’s fighting against a dictatorial mayor for the rights of our first responders.
People like Sal DeFranco, a Navy Seal who fought for our country and is ready to lead again in our state Legislature.
People like Jay McMahon, ready to defend the 2nd amendment.
Look at all the moms and dads who’ve showed up at their local school boards to have their voices heard on behalf of their children.
Look at the volunteer signature gatherers who stood out in the cold — asking people to sign their name in favor of positive change.
And look at my running mate, Leah Cole Allen, who’s showed tremendous courage as a nurse during the pandemic, as a legislator, and as a mother.
Leah and I thank you. We support you and we are proud to have your back.
As an Eagle Scout, I live by an ethic of “leaving the campground better than I found it.” But it’s not always easy to do what’s right, even when nobody’s looking.
These days, there’s a price to pay for standing up for your beliefs when they’re not in line with what the mainstream media and the establishment are selling.
They call you names. They say you’re racist. They kick you off social media and they try to cancel you. It’s a lonely battle.
But it’s worth it. It’s so worth it.
We are not going to give up and we are not going to give in.
The best days for Massachusetts are ahead of us, not behind.
Nobody’s going to take our state away from us. Not now, not ever.
But know this: we must be vigilant, because progressives are trying really, really hard.
My opponent, Maura Healey, actually cheered the burning of small businesses on main street. She said, quote, “that’s how forests grow.”
Maura Healey’s answer to parents concerned about their daughter’s safety in public restrooms was, “if you’ve got that much of a problem, just hold it.”
Is that any way to foster trust in the institutions that are supposed to deliver a more perfect union?
Of course it isn’t!
This is our government, and it’s run by “We, the People!”
I’m here to tell you that liberal progressives like Maura Healey are anything but a slam dunk, even here in Massachusetts.
In fact, they’re a flagrant foul against you, against your freedom, and against your prosperity – and we’re here to blow the whistle on them!
No more taking away our freedoms.
No more spending billions of dollars on crazy pet projects.
No more closing businesses because of power-hungry, abusive mandates.
No more driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants.
No more putting masks on kids in school and teaching them to be ashamed to be an American.
And don’t you dare try to undermine the integrity of our elections and our democracy with mail-in ballots!
We’re not just calling for a timeout.
Leah Allen and I are ready to take charge and move ahead to build a better Massachusetts, every day.
We pledge to cut taxes and make state government more accountable – something Beacon Hill refuses to do, despite swimming in billions of excess tax revenue.
We pledge to support you and your prosperity. We’ll give small businesses a start and the breathing room to grow.
We pledge to make housing in this state more affordable. A place where you can live, not leave — where the American Dream is never out of reach.
We pledge to fight for your rights and your freedoms.
And on day one — I will rehire every state worker who was fired because of the vaccine mandate.
And on day two — we’ll give a pink slip to anyone who thought that was a good idea!
We pledge to support kids and empower parents to have a stronger voice in the decisions about their education and health care. They are our future and they deserve nothing less.
No more divisive curriculum like “CRT” or “SEL” or “DEI” or whatever acronym they want to hide behind.
We pledge to always back the blue along with all first responders.
We pledge to support our brave soldiers and veterans.
And we pledge take our National Guard off of school bus duty and send them to protect our Southern Border to stop the lawlessness and flow of deadly fentanyl into our country and into Massachusetts.
And we pledge to provide true election integrity. Showing your ID on Election Day is the only way to ensure that American citizens are voting.
Too many people have fought and died to have that right. If we can’t guarantee “1 person, 1 vote,” then we don’t have a country.
Friends, I am asking you to stand alongside us in the arena.
To help unite our communities, our state, and our country.
And that starts with uniting our party.
Today, I respectfully and humbly ask for your vote for Governor. I promise I will not let you down.
God Bless you and your families.
God Bless Massachusetts.
And God Bless these United States of America.
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