The Marines have landed.
Nicely, not less than certainly one of them has. And he’s landed in Massachusetts, not L.A.
He’s Brian Shortsleeve, 52, a trim, match and energetic former U.S. Marine Corps officer who desires Massachusetts to form up, which is without doubt one of the causes he’s operating for governor.
One other is that he believes Democrat Gov. Maura Healey has been a failure, particularly over the mishandling of unlawful immigration, which is costing the state billions of {dollars}, cash which might be higher spent on colleges and decreasing taxes.
If elected, Shortsleeve could be the primary former Marine to carry the workplace. He desires to convey the hardcore values he realized as a Marine to the Nook Workplace.
And, as everyone is aware of, there isn’t any such factor as a former Marine. Marines are lifers. Semper Fi.
A ROTC graduate of Harvard, Shortsleeve joined the Marines and served in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1997 as a part of the NATO Stabilization Power (SFOR) through the breakup of the previous Yugoslavia, after which in 1998 within the Persian Gulf.
He returned to finding out enterprise at Harvard and have become a profitable enterprise capitalist and ultimately co-formed his personal agency known as M33 Development.
Alongside the way in which, he met fellow business-oriented Charlie Baker, who, as governor, appointed Shortsleeve as an MBTA official and later for a brief stint as normal supervisor.
Whereas near the previous Republican governor, Shortsleeve mentioned that certainly one of his first acts as governor could be to finish the contested MBTA Communities Act, which Baker signed into legislation in 2021.
“I imagine it needs to be repealed,” he mentioned.
That is the legislation that has been challenged by cities and cities that require MBTA-served communities to ascertain multi-family housing models inside a half mile of MBTA bus and practice terminals, ferries, or subways.
He’s additionally important of Healey’s dealing with of the swarm of unvetted unlawful immigrants who’ve flocked to Massachusetts due to its normal welfare applications and the skyrocketing prices to taxpayers.
“She has made a whole lot of selections that aren’t good for Massachusetts,” he mentioned.
A type of selections, Shortsleeve mentioned, is Healey’s insistence on continually attacking President Donald Trump, irrespective of the difficulty, moderately than working with him to the advantage of the state.
Whereas no drumbeater for Trump, though he voted for him in 2024, Shortsleeve mentioned he would mannequin his gubernatorial relationship with Trump after that of Democrat Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
After Whitmer, a possible 2028 presidential candidate, softened her ongoing criticism of Trump, the president introduced a brand new fighter mission for the Selfridge Nationwide Guard Base in Michigan, which is a significant financial driver for the state.
Calling it a “BFD” for the state, Whitmer mentioned she was merely placing the wants of the individuals of her state over her political pursuits.
Gov. Healey, who may do the identical, has solely doubled down on her assaults on Trump. She has by no means sought a gathering with Trump to debate Massachusetts points as Whitmer has. Shortsleeve would change that.
“I might have a seat on the desk. I might sit down and get issues accomplished,” he mentioned.
“She’s operating towards Trump. I’m operating for the individuals of Massachusetts,” he mentioned.
Shortsleeve, of Wellesley and Barnstable, is certainly one of two Republicans operating for governor, and the chance to unseat progressive Gov. Healey in 2026 as she seeks election to a second four-year time period.
The opposite GOP candidate is Michael Kennealy of Lexington, who, like Shortsleeve, served below Baker as Secretary of Housing and Improvement.
Each search to observe Baker’s footsteps to change into a profitable Republican candidate for governor who can win in an overwhelmingly Democratic state.
Which is simpler mentioned than accomplished, even for a Marine.
Veteran political reporter Peter Lucas might be reached at: peter.lucas@bostonherald.com
Matt Stone/Boston Herald
Migrant households mattress down for the evening at Logan Terminal E in Might of 2024. (Matt Stone/Boston Herald)
