The political action committee associated with Massachusetts Citizens for Life has endorsed Geoff Diehl for governor.
Diehl, a former state representative from Whitman, is running for the Republican nomination against Wrentham businessman Chris Doughty.
“The MCFL State PAC endorsed Geoff Diehl for governor because he has a record as a legislator and has promised to work to protect life,” said Andrea St. German, chairman of Massachusetts Citizens for Life State PAC, in a written statement to NewBostonPost. “Our independent research indicated that, while Doughty says he is pro-life, he will not do anything as governor to advance pro-life issues.”
In January 2022, Doughty told NewBostonPost that he would support policies that reduce the number of abortions and he called abortion “a lose-lose-lose.” But in May 2022 his campaign issued a written statement to Boston.com saying he “will not seek any changes to our state’s abortion laws.”
In June, after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Diehl and his running mate Leah Allen issued a statement supporting the decision and saying they “believe in protecting innocent life wherever possible.”
The winner of the Republican primary will face Maura Healey, the current state attorney general, a Democrat who supports legal and public funded abortion, in the November general election.
Among other races, incumbent Bill Galvin got the endorsement of Massachusetts Citizens for Life State PAC in his Democratic primary battle with Tanisha Sullivan in the Massachusetts Secretary of State race.
Sullivan, the head of the Boston branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, has hit Galvin hard over abortion, promising to use the Secretary of State’s office as a means of promoting abortion, in part by outing pro-life lobbyists.
“Galvin received the MCFL State PAC’s endorsement because his opponent, Sullivan, has attacked him viciously for being pro-life and has promised to make even more abortion access one of her top priorities,” St. Germain told NewBostonPost in a written statement.
Galvin voted pro-life as a state representative during the early 1980s. But in recent years he has downplayed his past opposition to abortion, without formally switching sides.
Most recently, on August 8, Galvin said: “I believe ultimately an abortion is a personal decision of the woman. I’ve made that clear, and I’ve conducted my office at that. Any other representation about me or my office is untrue.”
Galvin is seeking an unprecedented eighth four-year term.
The winner of the Democratic primary will face Rayla Campbell, of Whitman, a Republican who also got the endorsement of Massachusetts Citizens for Life State PAC.
A list of Massachusetts Citizens for Life State PAC endorsements issued Friday, August 26, 2022 is below.
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Candidate Party Office Primary Opponent
Endorsed
Geoff Diehl Republican Governor Chris Doughty
Leah Allen Republican Lieutenant Governor Kate Campanale
Jay McMahon Republican Attorney General Unopposed
Bill Galvin Democrat Secretary of State Tanisha Sullivan
Rayla Campbell Republican Secretary of State Unopposed
Not endorsed for Massachusetts state constitutional offices are presumptive Democratic nominee for governor Maura Healey; Democratic lieutenant governor candidates Kim Driscoll, Eric Lesser, and Tami Gouveia; and Democratic candidates for attorney general Andrea Campbell, Shannon Liss-Riordan, and Quentin Palfrey.
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At stake in the 2022 state elections are 40 seats in the Massachusetts Senate and 160 seats in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
Massachusetts Citizens for Life State PAC has issued endorsements for six of the 40 state Senate races and 14 of the 160 state House of Representatives races, as well as one county commissioner race. The endorsements are below.
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Massachusetts Senate
Brendan Phair Unenrolled State Senate No Primary
Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin & Hampshire
Incumbent: State Senator Adam Hinds (D-Pittsfield) is not running for re-election, after failing to make the Democratic primary ballot for lieutenant governor.
Paul Mark and Huff Tyler Templeton III are running in the Democratic primary. They are not endorsed.
Russel Protensis Republican State Senate Unopposed
First Bristol & Plymouth
Incumbent: State Senator Michael Rodrigues (D-Westport) is running for re-election. He is not endorsed.
Damian Anketell Republican State Senate Unopposed
Second Essex
Incumbent: State Senator Joan Lovely (D-Salem) is running for re-election. She is not endorsed.
Patrick O’Connor Republican State Senate Ronald Patuto
First Plymouth & Norfolk
Incumbent: State Senator Patrick O’Connor (R-Weymouth) is running for re-election.
Robert Stephens is running in the Democratic primary. He is not endorsed.
Ryan Fattman Republican State Senate Unopposed
Worcester & Hampden
Incumbent: State Senator Ryan Fattman (R-Webster) is running for re-election.
No Democratic candidates are on the primary ballot.
James Amorello Republican State Senate Unopposed
Worcester & Hampshire
Incumbent: State Senator Anne Gobi (D-Spencer) is running for re-election. She is not endorsed.
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Massachusetts House of Representatives
Steven Xiarhos Republican State Representative Unopposed
Fifth Barnstable
Incumbent: State Representative Steven Xiarhos is running for re-election. No Democrats are on the primary ballot.
Alan Silvia Democrat State Representative Unopposed
Seventh Bristol
Incumbent: State Representative Alan Silvia (D-Fall River) is running for re-election. No Republicans are on the primary ballot.
Norman Orrall Republican State Representative Unopposed
Twelfth Bristol
Incumbent: State Representative Norman Orrall (R-Lakeville) is running for re-election. No Democrats are on the primary ballot.
Nicholas Boldyga Republican State Representative Unopposed
Third Hampden
Incumbent: State Representative Nicholas Boldyga (R-Southwick) is running for re-election.
In the Democratic primary, Anthony Russo of Agawam is running. He is not endorsed.
Kelly Pease Republican State Representative Unopposed
Fourth Hampden
Incumbent: State Representative Kelly Pease (R-Westfield) is running for re-election. No Democrats are on the primary ballot.
Bud Williams Democrat State Representative Jynai McDonald
Eleventh Hampden
Incumbent: State Representative Bud Williams (D-Springfield) is running for re-election.
Lynne Archambault Democrat State Representative Andrew Shepherd
First Middlesex
Incumbent: There is no incumbent. Former state representative Sheila Harrington (R-Groton) resigned to serve as clerk magistrate of Gardner District Court.
No Republicans are on the primary ballot.
Raymond Xie Republican State Representative Unopposed
Second Middlesex
Incumbent: State Representative James Arciero (D-Westford) is running for re-election. Arciero is not endorsed.
Marc Lombardo Republican State Representative Unopposed
Twenty-Second Middlesex
Incumbent: State Representative Marc Lombardo (R-Billerica) is running for re-election. In the Democratic primary, Teresa English is running. English is not endorsed.
Colleen Garry Democrat State Representative Unopposed
Thirty-Sixth District
Incumbent: State Representative Colleen Garry (D-Dracut) is running for re-election.
In the Republican primary, George Boag is running. Boag is not endorsed.
Sharon Cintolo Republican State Representative Unopposed
Second Norfolk
Incumbent: State Representative Tackey Chan (D-Quincy) is running for re-election. Chan is not endorsed.
Howard Terban Republican State Representative Unopposed
Eighth Norfolk
Incumbent: State Representative Ted Philips (D- Sharon) is running for re-election. He is not endorsed.
John Rogers Democrat State Representative Unopposed
Twelfth Norfolk
Incumbent: State Representative John Rogers (D-Norwood) is running for re-election. No Republican candidates are on the primary ballot.
David DeCoste Republican State Representative Unopposed
Fifth Plymouth
Incumbent: State Representative David DeCoste (R-Norwell) is running for re-election. In the Democratic primary, Emmanuel Dockter of Hanover is running. Dockter is not endorsed.
Barnstable County Commissioner
Ronald Beaty Republican County Commissioner Unopposed
Incumbent: Ronald Bergstrom is a current county commissioner for Barnstable County. Bergstrom is running for re-election in the Democratic primary. Bergstrom is not endorsed.
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