Gov. Contenders Queried by State House News

As Massachusetts gets into the meat of a gubernatorial campaign this year, the News Service is planning to periodically poll the field of corner office hopefuls on questions and issues that matter to Bay Staters. Hopefully, their answers will help voters better get to know the people who want to lead this state before the Sept. 1 primaries and Nov. 3 general election.

Last week, the News Service sent the candidates for governor a questionnaire with three identical questions and asked for responses to be returned by Friday. Republicans Brian Shortsleeve, Mike Minogue and Mike Kennealy -- who are in a competitive sprint to the party's April 25 convention in Worcester and September's primary -- answered each question by the end of the week. Democrat Gov. Maura Healey, who has no primary opponent and the benefits of incumbency for the rest of this year, declined to participate.

Below are the three questions posed by the News Service, as well as verbatim responses from the three Republican candidates. Candidates were asked to keep answers to a maximum of 350 words, and did.

1) Where do you believe the line is between federal authority and state sovereignty — and what would guide your response when the priorities of Massachusetts conflict with those of the federal government?

Brian Shortsleeve: The Constitution draws the line. The federal government has defined powers, while the states and people retain the rest. That is the framework.

As governor, my job will be to protect the people of Massachusetts, not to play politics with Washington. When federal policy aligns with our interests such as economic growth, public safety, and protecting taxpayers, we work together. When it does not, I will get on a plane to DC and advocate with any president of either party for the people of Massachusetts. Maura Healey should learn that basic diplomacy like other Democratic leaders such as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and even New York Mayor Mamdani, who have successfully managed a relationship with the president to benefit their constituents. Healey’s approach is always to pick fights and grandstand, which has cost Massachusetts billions of dollars in federal support.

But I will not use state sovereignty as an excuse for bad policy. Too often Beacon Hill hides behind that language while making life more expensive, less safe, and less accountable. That ends on Day One of my administration.

If Washington overreaches, I will effectively advocate for Massachusetts. If Washington gets it right, I will partner with them. Every decision starts from the same place. What actually helps people build a life, raise a family, and get ahead.

That is the standard, not partisan virtue signaling.

Mike Minogue: I’ve spent my career leading organizations and making decisions where you are always accountable for the outcomes. That’s how I’ll approach this job.

When I entered West Point and service in the United States Army, I swore an oath to the Constitution, and I take that seriously. There are clear roles for the federal and state governments and respecting those lines is important.

My responsibility is to the citizens of Massachusetts. When the federal government is doing something that helps families here, we’ll work with them. When they’re pushing policies that make our state less affordable or less safe, I’ll push back and I won’t hesitate to do it.

What Massachusetts needs right now is leadership that takes accountability and solves problems. We have rising costs, people and entrepreneurs leaving the state, and communities that don’t feel as safe as they should. Those are our problems to solve, and I’m not going to depend on Washington to fix them.

The blueprint to accountability, affordability, opportunity, and keeping communities safe is ready to go. My focus will be to make Massachusetts the best place to live, work, and raise a family.

Mike Kennealy: The line is clear: the federal government is responsible for national priorities, while state governments retain the authority and sovereignty to govern in the best interests of their citizens. That’s why, as governor, I will relentlessly advance an agenda focused on the needs of Massachusetts citizens and what is in their best interests.

I am a strong believer in states’ rights; however, there are many issues where federal and state interests align. For example, keeping our communities safe by eliminating international drug and human trafficking, protecting our offshore environment, and ensuring a strong domestic energy supply. On these shared priorities, we should be partnering with the federal government—not engaging in blind partisan opposition.

When the priorities of Massachusetts conflict with those of the federal government, I will not hesitate to push back. States’ rights are a core principle of our constitutional system and a key reason why the United States continues to function as effectively as it does.

The governor's suite on the third floor of the State House includes the ceremonial office, the Governor's Council Chamber, working offices and more.

2) When it comes to affordability, how do you think about the balance between the demands of state government and the personal needs of residents and families? Do you believe the path to affordability runs through government investment, or keeping money in residents' pockets?

Mike Minogue: Our Governor is overspending, overtaxing, and overregulating. Massachusetts’ political elites keep asking more from hard working Bay Staters who are already stretched thin, and families are left trying to figure out how to make it all work. Massachusetts takes more of your income than ninety percent of America.

That’s why I’ve supported the independent audit of the state legislature. Seventy-two percent of Massachusetts voted for an independent audit of the legislature because people know the system is working for some not all, and they want answers before they’re asked to pay more. We need to eliminate the massive waste and fraud in our $63B budget before we ask citizens for one more penny of their income.

Instead, we’ve seen the opposite approach. We have eight taxes pushed onto residents, while Beacon Hill still can’t explain where the money is going or why people aren’t seeing results. That’s not sustainable. Our Governor is jeopardizing our federal funding by not being transparent about the identification of those benefiting from the programs.

I’ve spent my career as a CEO where I demanded accountability of myself and our team, and that meant regular audits by an outside agency every three months. That’s how you run a winning organization and culture of accountability. You look at the numbers, you find what’s working, you fix what isn’t, and you’re accountable for the results. That same mentality is exactly what I’ll bring as a new kind of governor.

Affordability starts with accountability. We’re spending billions of dollars, and Massachusetts isn’t getting results. Massachusetts is incurring more debt now than any other time in history with $120B of debt. An audit gives us a clear, non-partisan picture of where the money is going so we can cut what isn’t delivering and focus spending on what actually helps people.

At the same time, we need to stop making it harder to live, work, and raise a family here. High energy costs, overregulation, and constant fee increases are driving people out of the state. As governor, I will solve problems and help our citizens keep more of their money.

Mike Kennealy: State government’s sole focus should be the needs of its citizens – not partisan or ideological agendas – which is why I reject the premise that there is a balance to be struck between the needs of the government and the citizens it works for. Affordability starts with a simple principle: we should be growing people’s budgets, not the state’s. Over the past three years, Governor Healey and Beacon Hill leadership have focused too heavily on expanding government spending instead of strengthening the financial position of Massachusetts families. That approach is backwards.

Massachusetts has always been driven by the grit, innovation, and hard work of its people—not by top-down government expansion. If we are serious about affordability, we need to make it easier for residents to live, work, and raise a family here.

That starts with discipline in government. We need to implement zero-based budgeting—forcing every dollar of spending to be justified from the ground up, not simply carried over year after year. That’s how we ensure taxpayer dollars are being spent wisely and effectively.

When taxes are too high, families feel it immediately in their monthly budgets. When businesses are overtaxed and overregulated, those costs don’t disappear—they are passed along to workers through wage decreases and to consumers through higher prices. That’s how we end up with an economy that is less competitive and a state that people are increasingly leaving.

The path forward is to rebuild a strong economic foundation. That means creating an environment where businesses want to invest, grow, and create high-paying jobs right here in Massachusetts. It means lowering the cost of living, reducing unnecessary burdens, and ensuring that economic growth benefits the people who call this state home.

Government does have a role to play, but it should be focused on enabling success—not controlling it. Our responsibility is to create the conditions where families can do more than just get by. They should be able to build a future, support their children, and save for retirement with confidence.

Affordability isn’t achieved by asking more of taxpayers—it’s achieved by empowering them.

Brian Shortsleeve: Right now Beacon Hill has it backwards.

State spending is growing faster than the economy, faster than wages, and faster than families can keep up. That is not sustainable. It is a structural problem and it is why people are leaving.

Affordability starts with a simple principle: Government does not have its own money, it has yours.

We need to stop treating taxpayers like an endless revenue source and start focusing on the basics such as housing, energy, transportation, and public safety. That means cutting waste, ending reliance on one time gimmicks and supplemental budgets, and restoring discipline.

There is a role for smart investment. But investment without accountability is just spending. That is what we have now.

The path to affordability runs through letting people keep more of what they earn, lowering costs, and forcing government to live within its means.

Families are already making tough choices. It is time Beacon Hill does the same.

3) If elected, will you disclose whenever you leave the state, when you're coming back, where you are going and for what purpose? Why or why not?

Mike Kennealy: Yes, absolutely. This should not be controversial. Transparency isn’t a talking point—it’s a fundamental responsibility of effective government and a cornerstone of public trust.

When a governor leaves the state, the authority of the office is temporarily transferred. That is not a trivial matter—it directly affects who is exercising executive power on behalf of the people of Massachusetts. The public has a right to know when that transition occurs, where their governor is, and when they will return.

This is also about basic accountability. The vast majority of Massachusetts residents are expected to inform their employers when they take time off. The governor’s “employers” are the people of this Commonwealth. They deserve at least that same level of respect.

And let’s be clear: Governor Healey pledged to be the most transparent governor in Massachusetts history, yet her administration has refused to subject itself to the public records law or disclose her out-of-state travel. That is a direct contradiction between promise and practice—and it undermines trust.

If elected, I will make it a mandatory practice to disclose when I leave the state, when I am returning, and the general purpose of the trip. I will also open the Governor’s Office to public records law.

That’s not about politics—it’s about restoring trust. Open, transparent leadership is what the people of Massachusetts deserve.

Brian Shortsleeve: Yes.

People deserve basic transparency from their governor. If I leave the state, the public will know where I am, why I am there, and when I am coming back. That is part of the job.

Mike Minogue: Massachusetts deserves transparency from their governor. They should know where their Governor is balanced by the need for security. The important part is the job doesn’t go on vacation, and you need to be available at a moment’s notice to address any concerns for the citizens of the Commonwealth.

At the same time, this isn’t about turning public service into a travel log. There’s a difference between meaningful transparency and political theater.

If I’m out of state for official business, or if it impacts my ability to do the job, that should be disclosed clearly. That’s common sense. But I’m not going to create a system where every movement is turned into a distraction.

The real issue people care about is whether their Governor is focused, accessible, and getting results. That’s the standard I’ll hold myself to as I did as a CEO for 19 years at Abiomed.

- Have a question you'd like the News Service to pose to gubernatorial candidates in the next edition of the candidate questionnaire? Get in touch with us at news@statehousenews.com.