Governor of Massachusetts · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in the Massachusetts governor's race?
Maura Healey has the strongest record in the Massachusetts governor's race. Maura Healey scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Mike Minogue at 60, as of October 9, 2026. Maura Healey's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Mike Minogue's highest marks are command of the job and communication. Andrea James (7 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Maura Healey
Running mate: Kim Driscoll
65 / 100
Public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 85
- Performance
- 58
Independent
Andrea James
Running mate: Kayla Kittredge
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 7 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 55
- Performance
- NR
Republican
Mike Minogue
Running mate: Shawn Oliver
60 / 100
Public evidence on 10 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 65
- Performance
- 75
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Maura Healey
- On the record2026-06
Her administration signed a 40-year, $2 billion lease deal for a Springfield courthouse in June 2026; losing bidders sued, and a judge rejected their conflict-of-interest claims in August while the suit continues.
Source: PolitiFact, Oct. 8, 2026
- On the record2026-10-08
In the Oct. 8, 2026 debate said Minogue wrote a million-dollar check to Donald Trump; PolitiFact called it exaggerated, finding about $933,000 to Trump and other Republicans.
Source: PolitiFact, Oct. 8, 2026
- On the record2025-05-20
A May 2025 State Auditor report found the state housing office used improper and unlawful no-bid contracts for shelter food and transport in 2023; the office disputed most findings.
- On the record2025-05-20
Asked on May 20, 2025 whether she would consider the auditor's shelter recommendations, said she doubted it because the issue had been well covered.
Source: GBH News, May 20, 2025
- On the record2025-12-23
Said in December 2025 she will vote no on the 2026 rent control ballot question, which is backed by the Massachusetts Teachers Association and SEIU.
Sources: NBC Boston, Dec. 24, 2025, Banker and Tradesman (State House News Service), December 2025
- Credit2026-09-10
Endorsed on Sept. 10, 2026 by four police unions, including the State Police Association of Massachusetts and the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association.
Source: WBUR, Sept. 11, 2026
- Credit2024-08-06
Signed the $5.16 billion Affordable Homes Act on Aug. 6, 2024, a five-year housing bond bill.
Source: Banker and Tradesman, Aug. 2024
- Credit2023-10-04
Signed a tax relief law on Oct. 4, 2023 designed to cut taxes by $561 million in its first year and by more than $1 billion a year by fiscal 2027.
Sources: WBUR (Associated Press), Oct. 5, 2023, Western Mass News, Oct. 4, 2023
Andrea James
- Mark against2010
Was convicted on federal wire fraud charges and sentenced in 2010 to two years in federal prison, and was disbarred as a Massachusetts attorney.
Sources: Boston Globe, March 3, 2025, Greenfield Recorder, May 19, 2026
- On the record2026-10-08
Was not included in the Oct. 8, 2026 WBZ-TV governor debate between Healey and Minogue.
Source: Boston Globe, Oct. 8, 2026
- On the record2010
Founded Families for Justice as Healing with other incarcerated women while in federal prison in Connecticut.
- Credit2016-11-17
Received the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award in 2016 for work with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women.
Source: Boston Globe, Nov. 17, 2016
Mike Minogue
- On the record2026-07-17
Declined to debate his Republican primary opponent Brian Shortsleeve in 2026 while seeking two general election debates with Gov. Healey.
Sources: WAMC, July 17, 2026, CommonWealth Beacon (State House News Service), Aug. 5, 2026
- On the record2026-10-08
In the Oct. 8, 2026 debate said Massachusetts is last in job growth; PolitiFact found that inaccurate, with the state up about 8,300 jobs over the prior year.
Source: PolitiFact, Oct. 8, 2026
- On the record2018-03-08
In March 2018, while he was CEO, Abiomed agreed to pay $3.1 million to settle federal allegations that sales staff used lavish meals as kickbacks from 2012 to 2015.
Sources: Boston Globe, March 8, 2018, BioSpace, March 9, 2018
- Credit2016
Appointed by Gov. Charlie Baker in 2016 to chair an advisory council on veterans' services; co-founded a nonprofit that places veterans in life science jobs.
Source: BioSpace, Nov. 11, 2016
- Credit2016-10-21
As Abiomed CEO, grew the Danvers heart pump maker to about 850 employees and a projected $450 million in 2016 sales; Johnson and Johnson bought it in 2022.
- Credit1991
Awarded the Bronze Star for U.S. Army service as an Airborne Ranger in Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Maura Healey. Campaign finance reports are on file with the state (state records cited by WBUR). No Office of Campaign and Political Finance enforcement action naming her was found in the agency's 2009 to 2026 action list.
Source: WBUR, Nov. 4, 2025
Andrea James. Organized a campaign committee with state regulators in March 2025. Her 2010 federal wire fraud sentence and disbarment are over 10 years old with no repeat, so under E1 they are shown in the Record, not scored.
Source: Boston Globe, March 3, 2025
Mike Minogue. Campaign finance reports are on file with the state (state records cited by WBUR). No OCPF enforcement action naming him was found.
Source: WBUR, Nov. 4, 2025
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Maura Healey. In December 2025 said she would vote no on the 2026 rent control ballot question, which is backed by a coalition that includes the Massachusetts Teachers Association and SEIU, unions that usually back Democrats.
Sources: Banker and Tradesman (State House News Service), December 2025, NBC Boston, Dec. 24, 2025
Andrea James. No public record found.
Mike Minogue. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Maura Healey. Agreed to two October 2026 televised debates (WBZ-TV; WCVB, WBUR and the Boston Globe) and debated Mike Minogue on WBZ-TV on Oct. 8, 2026. Did not commit to the Boston 25 and GBH debate Minogue accepted.
Sources: CommonWealth Beacon (State House News Service), Aug. 5, 2026, PolitiFact, Oct. 8, 2026
Andrea James. Holds public campaign events with residents around the state. Was not included in the Oct. 8, 2026 WBZ-TV debate.
Sources: Greenfield Recorder, May 19, 2026, Boston Globe, Oct. 8, 2026
Mike Minogue. Agreed to a general election debate hosted by Boston 25, GBH and New England Public Media and debated Gov. Healey on WBZ-TV on Oct. 8, 2026. Declined to debate his primary opponent.
Sources: CommonWealth Beacon (State House News Service), Aug. 5, 2026, PolitiFact, Oct. 8, 2026
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Maura Healey. Attorney general 2015 to 2023 and governor since Jan. 5, 2023 with no formal censure, reprimand or conduct finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Maura Healey
Andrea James. No public record found.
Mike Minogue. Army infantry officer, then GE Healthcare and Abiomed chief executive from April 2004 to the company's 2022 sale, with no formal conduct finding naming him found.
Source: WBUR, Oct. 1, 2025
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Maura Healey. Has held statewide office under oath since 2015 (attorney general, then governor from Jan. 5, 2023). No misuse-of-office finding and no action to reject certified results found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Maura Healey
Andrea James. No public record found.
Mike Minogue. Served as a U.S. Army officer and received the Bronze Star for Gulf War service. No finding of misuse of office and no action to reject certified results found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Maura Healey. Governor since Jan. 5, 2023, nearly one full term, after two elected terms as attorney general (2015 to 2023).
Source: Ballotpedia, Maura Healey
Andrea James. Founded and leads Families for Justice as Healing and the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls; former criminal defense attorney. No government service.
Source: Boston Globe, Oct. 8, 2026
Mike Minogue. Chairman, president and CEO of Abiomed from 2004 to its 2022 sale, after GE Healthcare and Army service; chaired a governor's advisory council on veterans' services. No elected office.
Sources: WBUR, Oct. 1, 2025, BioSpace, Nov. 11, 2016
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Maura Healey. Sitting governor. In 2026 proposed a two-month gas tax suspension and declared an energy emergency with temporary electric bill cuts and added home heating aid; signed the fiscal 2027 budget.
Sources: WBUR (State House News Service), Oct. 8, 2026, WBUR, July 9, 2026
Andrea James. Published positions in general terms: universal health care and child care, affordable housing, rent stabilization and school funding.
Mike Minogue. Released a written 'Blueprint for a Better Future' in September 2026 with specific commitments, including a temporary gas tax suspension and repeal of the 2050 net-zero mandate, plus an earlier health care plan.
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Maura Healey. Three channels: campaign issue pages, two televised debates, and regular press availability. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Maura Healey, WBUR (State House News Service), Oct. 8, 2026, GBH News, May 20, 2025
Andrea James. Two channels: public campaign events and interviews explaining her platform. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.
Sources: Greenfield Recorder, May 19, 2026, Ballotpedia, Andrea James
Mike Minogue. Three channels: a published policy blueprint, a WBUR candidate questionnaire interview (November 2025) and a televised debate. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.
Sources: WBUR (State House News Service), Sept. 11, 2026, WBUR, Nov. 25, 2025, Ballotpedia, Michael Minogue
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Maura Healey. Grew up in New Hampshire; in Massachusetts since college (Harvard, 1992; Northeastern law, 1998) and elected statewide since 2014, more than 20 years. In-state donor share not computed (OCPF data not opened as a human page).
Source: Ballotpedia, Maura Healey
Andrea James. Roxbury native and Boston resident.
Sources: Boston Globe, Oct. 8, 2026, Boston Globe, Nov. 17, 2016
Mike Minogue. South Hamilton resident. Years of residence and in-state donor share not documented in an opened source.
Source: WBUR, Nov. 25, 2025
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Maura Healey. Heads the state executive branch; signed a $63.4 billion fiscal 2027 budget. A May 2025 State Auditor report faulted shelter contracting by the housing office under her administration (see Record).
Source: WBUR, July 9, 2026
Andrea James. Founded and runs advocacy nonprofits; organization size not documented in an opened source.
Mike Minogue. Led Abiomed as CEO from 2004; in 2016 the company employed about 850 people and projected $450 million in sales.
Source: Boston Globe, Oct. 21, 2016
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Maura Healey. Signed a tax relief law in October 2023 ($561 million in its first year, over $1 billion a year when phased in) and the $5.16 billion Affordable Homes Act in August 2024.
Sources: WBUR (Associated Press), Oct. 5, 2023, Banker and Tradesman, Aug. 2024
Andrea James. No public record found.
Mike Minogue. As CEO built Abiomed into a heart pump maker the Globe called a global leader; Johnson and Johnson bought the company in 2022.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Maura Healey. No public record found.
Andrea James. No public record found.
Mike Minogue. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Maura Healey. No public record found.
Andrea James. No public record found.
Mike Minogue. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Maura Healey. Endorsed in September 2026 by four police unions that WBUR described as groups that are not always behind Democrats.
Source: WBUR, Sept. 11, 2026
Andrea James. No public record found.
Mike Minogue. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Maura Healey. The fiscal 2027 budget she signed raised no taxes or fees and added $51 million to the rainy day fund, on track for $8.2 billion. It was signed nine days into the fiscal year after an interim budget.
Source: WBUR, July 9, 2026
Andrea James. No public record found.
Mike Minogue. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in the Massachusetts governor's race?
Maura Healey has the strongest record in the Massachusetts governor's race. Maura Healey scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Mike Minogue at 60, as of October 9, 2026. Maura Healey's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Mike Minogue's highest marks are command of the job and communication. Andrea James (7 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in the Massachusetts governor's race in 2026?
Maura Healey (Democratic, incumbent), Andrea James (Independent), Mike Minogue (Republican). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Maura Healey a good candidate for Governor?
Maura Healey scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 85 of 100, performance 58 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Andrea James a good candidate for Governor?
Andrea James has public evidence on 7 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Mike Minogue a good candidate for Governor?
Mike Minogue scores 60 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 10 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 65 of 100, performance 75 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Massachusetts race scored, and the Massachusetts 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.