The 2018 Massachusetts gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018, to elect the
governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
and
lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
of the
.
Republican Governor
Charlie Baker and Lieutenant Governor
Karyn Polito sought reelection to a second term in office, facing
Democratic challengers
Jay Gonzalez and
Quentin Palfrey
Quentin Palfrey (born April 29, 1974) is an American lawyer, policymaker, and political candidate. He currently serves as Deputy General Counsel at the United States Department of Commerce. He previously served as the Executive Director of the ...
, respectively. Candidates were selected in the
primary election
Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the ...
held on September 4, 2018.
Shortly after polls closed at 8 p.m. local time, the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
declared the race in favor of incumbents Baker and Polito. Shortly after 9 p.m. location time, Gonzalez conceded the election.
Baker was reelected with the highest vote total in the history of Massachusetts gubernatorial elections and by the widest margin since
Bill Weld was reelected governor in
1994
File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...
. He won many of the Commonwealth's most populated cities, including
Worcester
Worcester may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England
** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament
* Worcester Park, London, Englan ...
,
New Bedford
New Bedford (Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region. Up through the 17th century, the area was the territory of the Wampanoag Native American pe ...
, and
Springfield
Springfield may refer to:
* Springfield (toponym), the place name in general
Places and locations Australia
* Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast)
* Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council)
* Springfield, Queenslan ...
. Baker almost won
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, losing it by only around 3,000 votes, an extraordinary showing for a statewide Republican candidate in a major city.
As of , this is the last time that a Republican has won a statewide election in Massachusetts.
Background
Charlie Baker was elected in 2014 by a slim margin over then-Attorney General
Martha Coakley
Martha Mary Coakley (born July 14, 1953) is an American lobbyist and lawyer who served as Attorney General of Massachusetts from 2007 to 2015. Prior to serving as Attorney General, she was District Attorney of Middlesex County from 1999 to 20 ...
; however, he has consistently rated as one of the most popular governors in the country. Some Democrats, including Congressman
Mike Capuano
Michael Everett Capuano ( ; born January 9, 1952) is an American politician and attorney who served as a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts from 1999 to 2019. A Democrat, his district included the northern three-fourths of Boston, as well a ...
and Speaker of the House
Bob DeLeo publicly speculated they may vote for Baker over the eventual Democratic nominee. Speculated candidates such as Attorney General
Maura Healey, Congressman
Joe Kennedy, former State Senator
Dan Wolf
Daniel A. Wolf (born August 11, 1957) is an American entrepreneur, aircraft pilot, and politician. In 1989, he founded the Cape Cod-based airline Cape Air, which originally flew between Provincetown and Boston in Massachusetts, and has since ex ...
, and
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
Mayor
Marty Walsh all declined to be candidates, leaving no prominent Democrats to challenge Baker, which was seen as a necessary prerequisite to mount a formidable challenge to him.
Because Evan Falchuk received more than 3% of the vote in the
2014 gubernatorial election, the
United Independent Party
The United Independent Party or UIP was a political party based in Massachusetts, United States. The chairman of the UIP was Evan Falchuk, a former health care executive who submitted enough signatures to be on the 2014 gubernatorial ballot. When ...
gained official status.
Falchuck had stated that he would "certainly" run for office in 2018.
In 2016 however, the UIP lost its official party status after it failed to register 1% of Massachusetts voters as members.
Evan Falchuk later left the UIP and registered as a Democrat in early 2017.
Republican primary
There was some concern amongst the Republican Party that Baker was too moderate, and talks of challenging him with a more conservative opponent in the primaries. GOP state committeeman Robert Cappucci told the ''
Boston Herald
The ''Boston Herald'' is an American daily newspaper whose primary market is Boston, Massachusetts, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States. It has been awarded eight Pulit ...
'' that if Baker "shuns conservatives
..there will be 100 percent an effort to try to find a conservative, viable candidate to challenge him in 2018 for governor". David Kopacz, the president of the Massachusetts Republican Assembly, also stated that Baker may face a conservative challenger in 2018.
Following his 2016 election,
Barnstable County Commissioner Ron Beaty, who once was tried and convicted for threatening the life of President
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...
, has been making local and state headlines. He's proposed a "shark mitigation strategy" to combat the growing presence of sharks near
Cape Cod
Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mont ...
beaches by baiting and shooting them, which was rejected for consideration by the commission chairman. He has also mulled a primary run against his state representative,
Randy Hunt, after Hunt parked in his Barnstable County Courthouse parking spot. In September 2017 he announced he was in the process of changing the purpose of his campaign committee from a county to a statewide office. He cites the Governor's criticisms of President
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
and his willingness to work with Democrats as his inspiration to run.
[ On December 8, 2017, Scott Lively announced his campaign.
On December 13, 2017, Beaty stated he is no longer considering a run against Baker. Scott Lively, an evangelical pastor, challenged Baker and received more than the 15% of delegate votes necessary at the state convention to qualify for ballot access. Baker won the endorsement of the party by an overwhelming margin.]
Baker ultimately won the nomination, but not without Lively securing over a quarter of the primary vote, leading to speculation that Baker's more moderate disposition and opposition to President Trump may have damaged his general election chances with Republican base voters.
Governor
Candidates
=Declared
=
* Charlie Baker, incumbent governor
* Scott Lively, pastor and independent candidate for governor in 2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
=Declined
=
* Ron Beaty, Barnstable County Commissioner (running for state representative, endorsed Lively)
Endorsements
Polling
Results
=Convention
=
=Primary
=
Lieutenant Governor
Candidates
=Declared
=
* Karyn Polito, incumbent Lieutenant Governor[
]
Results
Democratic primary
In November 2014, after interviewing over a dozen Democratic operatives, strategists, and activists, Joshua Miller of ''The Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' wrote that the party would be looking for a young, fresh candidate who can appeal to the party's progressive base. He identified Attorney General Maura Healey as being "the first name on many Democratic lists". Samantha Lachman of ''The Huffington Post
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'' also identified Healey as a potential candidate for governor in 2018 or in a future United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
race.
As of July 2017, the declared candidates were relatively unknown to the state's voters. Their identification by Democratic voters was bolstered by addressing the 2017 state Democratic Convention, which saw its largest attendance of around 3,000 delegates in years.
On April 26, 2018, Setti Warren
Setti David Warren (born August 25, 1970) is an American politician. He served as List of mayors of Newton, Massachusetts, Mayor of Newton, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston, and is a former Democratic Party (United States), Democratic candidate f ...
announced via Facebook that he was withdrawing from the race due to financial concerns. He stated he would not endorse either of his former opponents until the nomination is won.
At the Massachusetts Democratic Convention in June, party delegates endorsed Gonzalez and Palfrey, but Bob Massie and Jimmy Tingle also surpassed the 15% threshold for ballot access by comfortable margins. A poll from late June conducted by WBUR and MassInc. indicated that the contest for the Democratic nomination in the gubernatorial race is a toss-up, with Massie and Gonzalez being separated by a percentage smaller than the margin of error.
Gonzalez and Palfrey went on to win their respective nominations generously (winning almost every municipality in the state) and headed into the general election to face their Republican counterparts.
Governor
Candidates
=Declared
=
* Jay Gonzalez, private health insurance executive, corporate lawyer, former State Secretary of Administration and Finance
* Bob Massie, co-founder of the Global Reporting Initiative, former executive director of Ceres
Ceres most commonly refers to:
* Ceres (dwarf planet), the largest asteroid
* Ceres (mythology), the Roman goddess of agriculture
Ceres may also refer to:
Places
Brazil
* Ceres, Goiás, Brazil
* Ceres Microregion, in north-central Goiás st ...
, former president of the New Economy Coalition
The New Economy Coalition (NEC) is an American nonprofit organization based in Boston, Massachusetts, formerly known as the New Economics Institute. It is a network of over 200 organizations based in the US and Canada working for "a future where ...
, ordained Episcopal
Episcopal may refer to:
*Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church
*Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese
*Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name
** Episcopal Church (United State ...
minister, nominee for lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
in 1994
File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...
, candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
=Withdrew
=
* Setti Warren
Setti David Warren (born August 25, 1970) is an American politician. He served as List of mayors of Newton, Massachusetts, Mayor of Newton, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston, and is a former Democratic Party (United States), Democratic candidate f ...
, former mayor of Newton
Newton most commonly refers to:
* Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist
* Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton
Newton may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Newton'' (film), a 2017 Indian film
* Newton ( ...
and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
=Declined
=
* Joe Avellone, businessman, former chairman of the Wellesley Board of selectmen and candidate for governor in 2014
* Jeff Bussgang
Jeff Bussgang (born June 20, 1969) is an American entrepreneur, author and general partner at Flybridge Capital Partners, a venture capital investment firm.
Early life and education
The son of Julian J. Bussgang, associated with the eponymous ...
, venture capitalist and lecturer at Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate business school of Harvard University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is consistently ranked among the top business schools in the world and offers a large full-time MBA p ...
* Katherine Clark, U.S. Representative ( running for reelection)
* Evan Falchuk, founder and former chair of the United Independent Party
The United Independent Party or UIP was a political party based in Massachusetts, United States. The chairman of the UIP was Evan Falchuk, a former health care executive who submitted enough signatures to be on the 2014 gubernatorial ballot. When ...
and United Independent nominee for governor in 2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
* Maura Healey, Massachusetts Attorney General
The Massachusetts Attorney General is an elected Constitution of Massachusetts, constitutionally defined executive officer of the Government of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Government. The officeholder is the chief lawyer and law enforcement offic ...
(ran for reelection)
* Joe Kennedy III
Joseph Patrick Kennedy III (born October 4, 1980) is an American lawyer, politician and diplomat who currently serves as United States Special Envoy for Northern Ireland since 2022. Prior to this, Kennedy served as the U.S. representative for fr ...
, U.S. Representative (ran for reelection)
* John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party (Unite ...
, former United States Secretary of State
The United States secretary of state is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the president's Ca ...
, former U.S. Senator, former lieutenant governor of Massachusetts and nominee for president in 2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
* Paul Mark, state representative (endorsed Jay Gonzalez)
* Marty Meehan
Martin Thomas Meehan (born December 30, 1956) is an American academic administrator, politician, and attorney. Since July 2015, Meehan has served as the President of the University of Massachusetts after serving as Chancellor of the University of ...
, president of the University of Massachusetts System
The University of Massachusetts is the five-campus public university system and the only public research system in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The university system includes five campuses (Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell, and a medica ...
and former U.S. Representative
* Seth Moulton, U.S. Representative ( ran for reelection)
* Marty Walsh, Mayor of Boston and former State Representative
* Dan Wolf
Daniel A. Wolf (born August 11, 1957) is an American entrepreneur, aircraft pilot, and politician. In 1989, he founded the Cape Cod-based airline Cape Air, which originally flew between Provincetown and Boston in Massachusetts, and has since ex ...
, businessman and former state senator
Endorsements
Polling
Results
Lieutenant Governor
Candidates
=Declared
=
* Quentin Palfrey
Quentin Palfrey (born April 29, 1974) is an American lawyer, policymaker, and political candidate. He currently serves as Deputy General Counsel at the United States Department of Commerce. He previously served as the Executive Director of the ...
, former senior advisor to the president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
for jobs & competitiveness
* Jimmy Tingle
Jimmy Tingle (born April 9, 1955) is an American comic and occasional actor.
Life and career
Tingle was the American correspondent for David Frost’s show for PBS and the BBC, ''The Strategic Humor Initiative''. He completed two seasons with ...
, humorist and activist
= Declined
=
* Paul Mark, state representative[
* Patrick McDermott, Norfolk County Register of Probate]
* Jon Mitchell, Mayor of New Bedford
New Bedford (Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region. Up through the 17th century, the area was the territory of the Wampanoag Native American pe ...
[
* ]Matt O'Malley
Matthew Joseph O'Malley is an American politician and businessman who served as president of the Boston City Council in 2021. He was elected as the District 6 representative in a special election on November 16, 2010, and was re-elected in 2011 ...
, Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
City Councilor
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural council ...
[
* Ayanna Pressley, ]Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
City Councilor
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural council ...
(running for MA-7)
Endorsements
Results
General election
Debates
Complete video of first debate
October 9, 2018
Complete video of second debate
October 17, 2018
Complete video of third debate
November 1, 2018
Endorsements
All individuals belong to the nominee's party unless otherwise specified.
Predictions
Polling
;with Setti Warren
;with Katherine Clark
;with Maura Healey
;with Joseph P. Kennedy III
;with Bob Massie
;with Seth Moulton
;with Marty Walsh
Results
See also
* 2017–2018 Massachusetts legislature
References
External links
Candidates
at Vote Smart
Vote Smart, formerly called Project Vote Smart, is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States. It covers candidates and elected officials in si ...
Candidates
at Ballotpedia
Ballotpedia is a nonprofit and nonpartisan online political encyclopedia that covers federal, state, and local politics, elections, and public policy in the United States. The website was founded in 2007. Ballotpedia is sponsored by the Lucy Bur ...
;Official campaign websites for gubernatorial candidates
Charlie Baker (R) for Governor
Jay Gonzalez (D) for Governor
;Official campaign websites for lieutenant gubernatorial candidates
Quentin Palfrey (D) for Lieutenant Governor
{{Massachusetts elections
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
Gubernatorial
A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political_regions, political region, ranking under the Head of State, head of state and in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of ...