Come November, voters will be choosing between Democrat Maura Healey — currently the commonwealth’s attorney general — and Republican Geoff Diehl — former state representative from Whitman.
Pundits cast the race pitting Diehl against an historic all-female ticket lead by the out LGBTQ Healey, as a “referendum on Trumpism” in Massachusetts.
Healey focused on her past bipartisan approach to the attorney general’s office and saluted the leadership of Gov. Charlie Baker, thanking him for his service to the state.
“Gov. Baker has led with respect and worked with both parties,” she told supporters during her victory speech Tuesday night. “He’s refused to engage in the politics of division and destruction that we’ve seen across this country.”
She said her campaign would be about making the state more affordable, growing the economy toward opportunity for all and protection of reproductive freedom.
Diehl focused on the state’s population loss and the focus on big government over individual freedom, calling Healey “the people’s worst nightmare” leading the state down a path of higher taxes and radical legislation.
“With this campaign we are going to be redefining politics as usual here in Massachusetts,” Diehl said, noting he appreciated opponent Chris Doughty’s call conceding the race, and pledging to “work together to defeat a radical attorney general who wants to be our governor.”
Diehl pledged “for the first time” to run a campaign toward November focused on “we the people — our freedoms, our rights and our prosperity.” He also pledged support for empowering parents to keep Healey’s “political agenda out of the classroom.”
Diehl has been endorsed by Donald Trump, who said in his remarks to Diehl’s supporters Monday that Diehl would “rule your state with an iron fist.”
Turnout was 23 per cent of Plympton’s 2356 registered voters, Halifax brought in 926 votes or 15 percent of that town’s 6,174 voters to mark their choices. Kingston’s unofficial votes were not available as of press time.
Locally, Healey won Halifax by 533 votes to Sonia Chang-Diaz’s 66 votes, while Diehl carried Halifax with 477 votes to Chris Doughty’s 176. In Plympton Healy garnered 229 votes to Chang-Diaz’s25 and Diehl won with 199 votes to Doughty’s 85.
In her victory speech, Healy saluted outgoing Gov. Charlie Baker’s leadership on behalf of Massachusetts.