A Republican jumped into the 2026 Massachusetts governor's race on Monday morning..Mike Kennealy, the secretary of housing and economic development under former Governor Charlie Baker, formally announced his gubernatorial bid.The 57-year-old Lexington resident cited high costs, the migrant crisis, and education as his reasons for entering the race. “Everything from gas to housing to taxes is too expensive. Too many kids aren’t receiving the education they need to compete in a global economy. Our transportation system is still broken. The unspeakable violence in migrant shelters is a human tragedy and a national embarrassment … Our beacon on a hill has become a beacon in the rearview mirror,” said Kennealy in the video. “I’m running for governor because I believe in the unlimited potential of our state through the power of our people.”Kennealy touted his experience in the Baker administration in his announcement.He says he oversaw the creation of more than 215,000 jobs over eight years and helped reopen the Bay State's economy during the coronavirus pandemic. “Massachusetts deserves a governor who will work with its people, not against them. Who knows how to manage public finances, not derail them, and who is willing to build coalitions to do the work of the people,” Kennealy for Governor campaign manager Ben Hincher said in a press release. “Mike Kennealy’s lifetime of creating jobs and expanding opportunities and his commitment to making Massachusetts a state that is affordable with a government we can believe in makes him the only candidate who can defeat Maura Healey.”Kennealy also helped implement the MBTA Communities Act, a 2021 law which requires municipalities in or near the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authorit’s service area to allow for denser housing development. Supporters say it will let developers build the housing stock Massachusetts needs to combat high housing costs. Opponents, who cite concerns over local control, infrastructure capacity, and so-called community character, criticize the law as a state overreach into municipal zoning decisions.The Republican currently serves as a senior adviser and chief strategy officer for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston. Additionally, he worked in private equity for 19 years before entering politics; he served as an associate at TA Associates and Managing Director at Spectrum Equity.Kennealy is hoping to unseat Governor Healey, who announced in February that she's seeking re-election.“I plan to run for re-election because there’s a lot more to do,” Healey said on Boston Public Radio in February. “I love my job. I feel incredibly privileged to be in this position, and I’d love to have the opportunity to continue to work for the great people of this state.”Other Republicans may join Kennealy in the governor's race. Brian Shortsleeve, who served as the chief administrator of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority under Baker from 2015 to 2017, is expected to announce a run for governor later this year. Meanwhile, state Senator Peter Durant (R-Spencer) is also considering running.The Cook Political Report rates Massachusetts as a solid Democratic state in the 2026 governor's race -- the same category it puts the governor's races in California and Hawaii.Healey defeated former state representative Geoff Diehl (R-Whitman) 63.7 percent to 34.6 percent in the 2022 race; Diehl ran with the endorsement of then-former President Donald Trump in a state where Trump has never gotten more than 36 percent of the vote in a general election.Healey's office could not be reached for comment on Monday.
A Republican jumped into the 2026 Massachusetts governor's race on Monday morning..Mike Kennealy, the secretary of housing and economic development under former Governor Charlie Baker, formally announced his gubernatorial bid.The 57-year-old Lexington resident cited high costs, the migrant crisis, and education as his reasons for entering the race. “Everything from gas to housing to taxes is too expensive. Too many kids aren’t receiving the education they need to compete in a global economy. Our transportation system is still broken. The unspeakable violence in migrant shelters is a human tragedy and a national embarrassment … Our beacon on a hill has become a beacon in the rearview mirror,” said Kennealy in the video. “I’m running for governor because I believe in the unlimited potential of our state through the power of our people.”Kennealy touted his experience in the Baker administration in his announcement.He says he oversaw the creation of more than 215,000 jobs over eight years and helped reopen the Bay State's economy during the coronavirus pandemic. “Massachusetts deserves a governor who will work with its people, not against them. Who knows how to manage public finances, not derail them, and who is willing to build coalitions to do the work of the people,” Kennealy for Governor campaign manager Ben Hincher said in a press release. “Mike Kennealy’s lifetime of creating jobs and expanding opportunities and his commitment to making Massachusetts a state that is affordable with a government we can believe in makes him the only candidate who can defeat Maura Healey.”Kennealy also helped implement the MBTA Communities Act, a 2021 law which requires municipalities in or near the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authorit’s service area to allow for denser housing development. Supporters say it will let developers build the housing stock Massachusetts needs to combat high housing costs. Opponents, who cite concerns over local control, infrastructure capacity, and so-called community character, criticize the law as a state overreach into municipal zoning decisions.The Republican currently serves as a senior adviser and chief strategy officer for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston. Additionally, he worked in private equity for 19 years before entering politics; he served as an associate at TA Associates and Managing Director at Spectrum Equity.Kennealy is hoping to unseat Governor Healey, who announced in February that she's seeking re-election.“I plan to run for re-election because there’s a lot more to do,” Healey said on Boston Public Radio in February. “I love my job. I feel incredibly privileged to be in this position, and I’d love to have the opportunity to continue to work for the great people of this state.”Other Republicans may join Kennealy in the governor's race. Brian Shortsleeve, who served as the chief administrator of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority under Baker from 2015 to 2017, is expected to announce a run for governor later this year. Meanwhile, state Senator Peter Durant (R-Spencer) is also considering running.The Cook Political Report rates Massachusetts as a solid Democratic state in the 2026 governor's race -- the same category it puts the governor's races in California and Hawaii.Healey defeated former state representative Geoff Diehl (R-Whitman) 63.7 percent to 34.6 percent in the 2022 race; Diehl ran with the endorsement of then-former President Donald Trump in a state where Trump has never gotten more than 36 percent of the vote in a general election.Healey's office could not be reached for comment on Monday.
