Globe endorses Governor Maura Healey for reelection

The closing stretch of this race has been horrendous for Team Minogue in general. Last weekend, Minogue’s running mate, Shawn Oliver, was charged with operating under the influence, after allegedly driving into five parked cars in New Bedford Sunday morning. Minogue quickly called on Oliver, who was arraigned Monday, to suspend his campaign for lieutenant governor, and Oliver complied. But “suspended” is a pretty empty term in this case. As Minogue surely knows, Oliver’s name is on the November ballot and isn’t coming off. Sure, he can stop campaigning. But did he ever start? Minogue declared on Monday that under no circumstances would Oliver ever serve as his lieutenant governor. He pointed out that Massachusetts went without a second-in -command before, most recently when Tim Murray left the Deval Patrick administration in 2013. Then, as now, the state had no process for replacing a lieutenant governor. But I’m not sure Minogue should be spending a lot of time worrying about top-level staffing, given the state of the race. In theory, this race should be more competitive.

Featuring: Iván Espinoza-Madrigal, Priya Lane, Charlie Baker, Mike Minogue, Shawn Oliver, Bob Rivers, John Fish, Reshma Kewalramani, Jeff Tengel, Greg Maynard, Jim Stergios, Shannon O’Brien, Greg Reibman, and more. Voters and business leaders are giving the race between businessman Mike Minogue and Governor Maura Healey a shrug. Ryan Huddle/Globe staff; photos by Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff; Adobe stockOne would think a Republican fiscal conservative who’s been a rock-star life sciences CEO would have the business community buzzing about his gubernatorial prospects. Yet it’s been crickets in the circles Jon and I run in. There was early chatter about whether Maura Healey could be in trouble with voters feeling beleaguered by the high cost of living. Add to that, Mike Minogue’s millions: So far he’s poured $17.3 million into his own campaign, according to state campaign filings. But since the primary, we’ve found fewer and fewer people even talking about the governor’s race.

Vice President JD Vance declined Monday to endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for reelection a day after President Donald Trump endorsed the embattled Israeli leader. “The president has the most influential endorsement in American or international political history,” Vance said during an interview with journalist Mark Halperin. “I endorse American candidates, and that’s where I’m focused on the midterms,” Vance said, while traveling Monday to campaign for Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley of North Carolina. “So, I’m not getting involved in Israeli elections.”Vance has campaigned for a foreign leader — then-Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, last spring before the right-wing leader’s party lost that country’s parliamentary election. Vance’s deference to Trump on Netanyahu comes at an extraordinarily sensitive time for Jewish Americans and the U. S. alliance with Israel. Concerns about antisemitism have surged across the political spectrum ahead of the midterm elections. Get Starting PointA guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.

Vice President JD Vance declined Monday to endorse Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu for reelection a day after President Donald Trump endorsed the embattled Israeli leader. “The president has the most influential endorsement in American or international political history,” Vance said during an interview with journalist Mark Halperin.

As representatives prepare to pass a spending bill Wednesday that's been stripped of a plan to give drivers some relief from high costs, fresh polling shows just how popular the idea of a temporary suspension of the state gas tax is. The UMass Poll found that 69% of Bay Staters at least somewhat support a temporary reprieve from the 24-cents-per-gallon levy, with 42% saying they strongly support the idea and 27% saying they somewhat support it. Opposition totaled 12% -- 5% strongly opposed and 7% somewhat opposed, while 19% of respondents said they were neutral.

Support WBURSam Drysdale, State House News ServiceOctober 21, 2026Communities on the Cape and Islands and in Berkshire County will receive a $1.9 million boost to expand year-round housing stock, as those regions struggle against the effects of tourism on their limited housing stock. Gov. Maura Healey's administration announced the funding injection into the Seasonal Communities Grant Program on Tuesday, which will go to all 24 legally-designated seasonal communities in Massachusetts to advance efforts with the potential to add 594 year-round housing units. "Our seasonal communities are home to families, small businesses and workers who keep them running all year long," Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll said. "We know that every community has different needs, and there's no one-size-fits-all solution to the housing challenges they're facing. These grants give local leaders the resources and flexibility to move important projects forward, create more year-round housing opportunities and support the long-term success of their communities. "Two early-stage projects on Cape Cod account for most of the housing units cited.