(Boston Orange 綜合報導) 麻州民主黨（MassDem）在4月19及20的一連2日，發表2份措辭嚴厲聲明，批評共和黨候選人Mike Kennealy ，讓2026年麻州州長選舉霎時升溫
麻州現任州長奚莉 (Maura Healey) 在今年 (2025) 2月宣佈將競選連任時，儘管不少人覺得宣佈得有點早，但還都抱持著在位者有優勢，2026的州長選舉，不會有些甚麼火花。沒想到，麻州民主黨這2天竟突然密集攻擊州長選舉的敵對黨候選人。
奚莉州長在當選州長前是麻州總檢察長，以政策激進，在氣候變化、社會正義等議題上立場強硬而聞名。上任以來，積極推動麻州團隊精神。
共和黨籍的Mike Kennealy，曾是查理貝克
(Charlie Baker)州長任內的房屋及經濟發展廳廳長，後來在私人企業當高管，今年4月7日宣佈參選麻州州長。他形容自己是一名專注於財政責任和解決州內住房負擔危機的候選人。
麻州民主黨（MassDem）主席Steve
Kerrigan這2天，一連發表2份聲明，強烈批評Mike
Kennealy。
- 4月19日，強調肯Kennealy承認自己在過去三次總統選舉（2016年、2020年以及隱含的2024年）中均未投票。Kerrigan聲稱，在總統這種重大國家選舉中的投票缺席，顯示Kennealy的領導資質存在根本缺陷。
- 4月20日，抨擊Kennealy不願意公開反對前總統政府的政策，不支持麻州總檢察長Andrea
Campbell為挑戰那些政策而提訟的努力。在關稅問題和聯邦政府削減研究經費對經濟影響的發言上，民主黨人認為他提到“外部性”，是不關心麻州居民所關切議題的證據。
麻州民主黨頻頻使用”MAGA Mike”這稱號，努力地要讓人把Mike Kennealy 和川普總統強調的”MAGA”連載一起，藉以削弱Kennealy對麻州選民的吸引力，同時積極把奚莉州長的形象塑造為麻州利益的捍衛者，藉以形成強烈對比。
2026年才是麻州州長選舉年，但州長席位選戰從Mennealy宣佈參選後，就逐漸加溫。目前在共和黨籍的Mike
Kennealy和民主黨籍的在位州長Maura
Healey之外，根據”選票百科 (Ballotpedia)”，民主黨籍，創辦了「作為療癒支持正義家庭(Families
for Justice as Healing)和「全國被監禁和曾被監禁婦女和女孩委員會
( The National Council For Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and
Girls)」的Andrea
James也宣佈參選了。共和黨籍，則有麻州參議員
Peter Durant，伍斯特郡(Worcester)治安官Lewis
Evangelidis，以及麻州眾議員Michael
Soter都是人們口中的潛在參選者。
Massachusetts Gubernatorial Race Intensified with MassDem
Strongly Criticizing Kennealy
The 2026 Massachusetts gubernatorial election has seen a
significant escalation in political activity, with the Massachusetts Democratic
Party (MassDem) releasing two consecutive, strongly worded critical statements
against Republican candidate Mike Kennealy on April 19th and 20th. This
concentrated attack has introduced a new level of intensity into the campaign,
signaling a potentially more contentious race than previously anticipated.
Prior to these statements, the election was largely
perceived as a standard re-election cycle for incumbent Governor Maura Healey.
Now, however, the sudden barrage of criticisms against Kennealy has clearly
altered the campaign dynamics.
Incumbent Democratic Governor Maura Healey, who announced
her intent to seek re-election in February 2025, faces challenges from multiple
candidates. Healey, a former Attorney General of Massachusetts, is known for
her progressive policies and strong stances on issues like climate change and
social justice.
Mike Kennealy, a Republican who entered the race on April 7,
2025, has emerged as a key target for the Democratic Party. Kennealy, a
businessman and former state official with experience in economic development,
is positioning himself as a candidate focused on fiscal responsibility and
addressing the state's affordability crisis.
Additionally, Democrat Andrea James has also declared her
candidacy, indicating a contested primary within the Democratic party itself. James,
a social justice advocate and former corrections reform activist, is
campaigning on a platform focused on criminal justice reform and addressing
systemic inequities.
While other Republicans, including Peter Durant, Lewis
Evangelidis, and Michael Soter, have been mentioned as potential candidates,
Kennealy has so far been the most prominent to formally enter the field. Durant
is a state senator known for his conservative views. Evangelidis is the
Worcester County Sheriff, with a background in law enforcement. Soter is a
state representative with a focus on local government issues.
The Massachusetts Democratic Party (MassDem), under Chair
Steve Kerrigan, has issued a series of strong statements directly criticizing
Kennealy.
- On
April 19th, MassDem released a statement highlighting Kennealy's admission
that he did not vote in the last three presidential elections (2016, 2020,
and implicitly 2024). Kerrigan asserted that this lack of participation in
significant national elections demonstrates a fundamental flaw in
Kennealy's leadership credentials.
- On
April 20th, MassDem further attacked Kennealy's reluctance to publicly
oppose the policies of the previous presidential administration. They
highlighted his lack of support for Attorney General Andrea Campbell's
efforts to legally challenge these policies in Massachusetts. Kennealy's
comments regarding the economic impact of tariffs and cuts to federal
research funding, where he spoke of "externalities," were cited
as evidence of his detachment from the concerns of Massachusetts
residents.
The Democratic campaign strategy is evident in its
consistent effort to link Kennealy to the previous administration, frequently
using the moniker "MAGA Mike." This tactic aims to leverage the
generally less favorable view of that administration within Massachusetts to
undermine Kennealy's appeal to voters. The Democrats are also actively
contrasting Kennealy's approach with Governor Healey's vocal criticisms and
legal challenges to those same federal policies, positioning Healey as the
clear defender of the state's interests.
While the Democratic Party intensifies its attacks, Mike
Kennealy's campaign is focused on issues such as affordability, housing costs,
and government efficiency, aiming to present himself as a candidate focused on
the specific needs of Massachusetts. As the gubernatorial race progresses, it
remains to be seen how Kennealy and any other emerging Republican candidates
will counter these well-organized and consistent criticisms from the Democratic
Party. The dynamics of the primary races and the candidates' ability to
resonate with Massachusetts voters on key state-level issues will ultimately
shape the trajectory of this closely watched election.
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