5 of the final seven governors of Democrat-controlled Massachusetts have been Republicans.
Republican Mike Kennealy would make it six.
Mike who?
Mike Kennealy of Lexington, that’s who. Kennealy is a 57-year-old former enterprise entrepreneur who discovered public service to be a second calling.
That second calling led him to depart the personal fairness world to serve in a wide range of public service endeavors, starting as particular advisor to the turnaround of the Lawrence public college system.
In 2015, he joined GOP Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration as Assistant Secretary for Enterprise Progress and later as Secretary of Housing and Improvement.
He most not too long ago served as senior advisor and chief technique officer on the Boys and Ladies Golf equipment of Boston.
Now the would-be governor has already put up $2 million of his personal cash to get his marketing campaign rolling.
He claims he has the “balanced expertise” to be an efficient governor who “can get the job finished.”
“I imagine in myself. I imagine within the folks. I imagine I would be the governor,” Kennealy mentioned over espresso.
Had been he to take action, he would observe within the fashionable footsteps of a collection of Republican governors who had been capable of get elected or serve in a closely Democratic and progressive state. They had been Invoice Weld, 1991-1997; the late Paul Cellucci, 1997-2001; appearing Gov. Jane Swift, 2001-2003; Mitt Romney 2003-2007, and Charlie Baker, 2015- 2023.
Republican Geoff Diehl would have been the sixth, however he was handily defeated by Democrat Maura Healey within the final election. Healey is working for reelection.
However the truth that a Republican can win the governorship in a closely Democratic state has given hope to Kennealy and to fellow Republican Brian Shortsleeve, a former MBTA official underneath Baker, who can also be working for governor.
“The state works higher with Republican governors,” Kennealy mentioned, even with a Legislature that’s closely managed by the Democrats. “It would work higher with my broad expertise,” he added.
“On the finish of the day, all folks need is commonsense management,” he mentioned.
However there’s not a lot of that on the State Home nowadays, in line with Kennealy, and he has taken Healey to activity over a wide range of points.
They vary from her dealing with — or mishandling — of the pricey unlawful immigration invasion to forcing communities to construct housing underneath the MBTA Communities Act.
He additionally chided Healey for siding with the rioters in Los Angeles by criticizing President Trump’s determination to ship within the California Nationwide Guard. “This isn’t about politics, it’s about public security,” he mentioned, including that Healey has “overstayed” her time as governor.
Whereas he labored for Baker, when Baker signed the MBTA Communities Act that mandates MBTA adjoining communities construct inexpensive housing, Kennealy didn’t assist it, however proposed extra voluntary housing collaboration between the state and the communities.
He mentioned one in all his first acts as a governor could be to amend the act. He may also search to amend the misinterpreted state’s so-called “Proper to Shelter Legislation” that has served as a magnet for unlawful immigrants from around the globe.
Signed into legislation by Gov. Michel Dukakis in 1983, the legislation was initially designed to supply housing and different advantages to homeless Massachusetts residents, to not unlawful immigrants.
Nevertheless, Healey and different progressive Democrats have parsed and skirted the legislation by calling unlawful immigrants “residents.”
Whereas Kennealy didn’t vote for President Trump within the final election, he, in contrast to Healey, mentioned he would work with Trump, and he praised Trump for shutting down the border and halting Joe Biden’s disastrous open borders coverage.
Healey, reasonably than attacking Trump, “ought to be thanking him for securing the border,” he mentioned.
It’s early within the 2026 marketing campaign for governor and Kennealy is at this level comparatively unknown.
He’s the brand new child on the block. However be careful. He’s been round.
Veteran political reporter Peter Lucas might be reached at: peter.lucas@bostonherald.com
