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Did Mass. GOP make the right choice with Mike Minogue?
Minogue and Brian Shortsleeve now head toward a September primary showdown.
The Massachusetts Republican Party gathered in Worcester on Saturday for its nominating convention and delivered a resounding verdict.
Delegates chose Mike Minogue, a former biotech executive and first-time candidate, as their endorsed pick for governor, with roughly 70 percent of the vote.
Minogue, who lives in Gloucester with his wife and children, made his name in the private sector as CEO of Abiomed, a Danvers-based medical device company. He has also been a prominent donor to GOP and Trump-aligned causes, and last year hosted Vice President J.D. Vance at a fundraiser. Though he has never held elected office, he stepped onto the convention stage Saturday and wasted no time making his priorities known.
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“My purpose is to help working people and families that struggle to pay their bills,” Minogue told the crowd after accepting the endorsement. “Massachusetts is working for some but not all.” He also drew sharp applause with a hard line on immigration, promising to get “criminal illegal immigrants off our streets.”
The convention wasn’t without complications, however. The event ran roughly four hours behind schedule, which organizers attributed to registration problems and confusion over voting procedures.
In the end, former MBTA chief Brian Shortsleeve narrowly cleared the 15 percent threshold required to earn a spot on the September primary ballot. Shortsleeve framed the outcome as a victory on its own terms, saying his campaign accomplished exactly what it set out to do and that he looks forward to a head-to-head race leading up to the primary.
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The third candidate in the race, Mike Kennealy — a former official in the Baker administration — fell short of that 15 percent mark and suspended his campaign shortly after results were announced.
Also at the convention, Anne Brensley won the lieutenant governor endorsement with more than 56 percent of the vote – more than double the next closest candidate. And Senate candidate John Deaton, who previously challenged Sen. Elizabeth Warren, secured the expected GOP Senate endorsement.
Minogue and Shortsleeve now head toward a September primary showdown. The winner will face Democratic Gov. Maura Healey in November — a steep climb in a state that hasn’t elected a Republican governor since Charlie Baker left office. Massachusetts Democrats hold their own nominating convention next month.
We want to know: Was Minogue the right choice? Tell us by filling out the form or e-mailing us at [email protected], and your response may appear in a future Boston.com article.
Did Mass. GOP make the right choice with Minogue?
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