Why Maura Healey’s midterm victory will be historic for Massachusetts

Maura Healey won the Democratic primary elections on Tuesday for Massachusetts’ governor’s office. She comfortably defeated Democratic opponent Sonia Chang-Diaz and will now face Republican Geoff Diehl, who has been endorsed by former US President Donald Trump.

Maura Healey, if successful in the upcoming midterm elections, will become the first elected woman and the first openly gay person to hold the Massachusetts governor’s office.

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“We know he’ll be out of touch with the values we stand for”, Maura Healey said in her victory speech in Massachusetts, a commonwealth known to be a stronghold for the Democratic party. “They’ll bring Trumpism to Massachusetts”, she added while slamming both Republican rivals in Tuesday’s primary.

Not many openly gay individuals have run for major offices so far. In the 2020 elections, Pete Buttigieg launched his bid for the White House, becoming the first openly gay person to run for the top office. 

Pete Buttigieg now serves as the United States Secretary of Transportation in the administration of US President Joe Biden. Pete is married to Chasten Buttigieg.

Healey, whose only rival for the nomination dropped out of the race but remained on the ballot, will be the heavy favorite in November against Diehl in one of the most liberal states in the nation.

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Healey has said she would work to expand job training programs, make child care more affordable and modernize schools. Healey has also said she would protect “access to safe and legal abortion in Massachusetts” in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

But Healey does face an oddball hurdle in Massachusetts — the so-called curse of the attorney general. Since 1958, six former Massachusetts attorneys general have sought the governor’s office. All failed.