Gov. Maura Healey launches reelection campaign by attacking Trump

Gov. Maura Healey officially launched her reelection campaign Tuesday morning by attacking President Trump over rising costs of living and federal immigration crackdowns in Massachusetts.

Healey, a 54-year-old Democrat, is running for a second term in office alongside Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll. In a video released by her campaign, Healey turned to a familiar tactic for Democratic governors this past year — attack a president unpopular among left-leaning voters in the hopes of rallying them to the polls.

In the video message, Healey said Trump “is making everything worse.”

“He's raising costs, taking away our health care and tearing families apart. We see the damage he's doing to our state and our country, but we'll never back down. In Massachusetts, we stand together on what matters most,” she said.

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Trump has regularly targeted key industries in Massachusetts since taking office last year.

He has battled with high-profile colleges and universities like Harvard, cut federal funding across multiple sectors like health care and public safety and directed immigration agents to increase enforcement raids in the state.

The administration has also singled out Boston multiple times, including in a lawsuit against the city that alleges its policy of limiting cooperation with immigration enforcement violates federal law.

Healey officially launched her reelection campaign only days before she is scheduled to give her annual State of the Commonwealth address. Governors typically use the speech to tease their state budget for the coming fiscal year, reflect on accomplishments and outline new priorities.

But Healey could also use the primetime address to test her reelection messaging.

Healey became the first woman and openly gay candidate elected governor of Massachusetts in 2022 after beating Republican Geoff Diehl with more than 63% of the vote.

Since she took office in January 2023, Healey has notched several victories. She signed a $1-billion-a-year package of tax cuts, a $5.2 billion borrowing bill aimed at housing affordability, hired a new general manager to reform the MBTA and helped make community colleges free.

But she also faced a series of challenges over the past three years.

An influx of migrants to Massachusetts during Healey’s first several years in office strained the state’s emergency shelter system for families, prompting Beacon Hill officials to spend billions in additional funding to address the spike in demand.

Healey has dealt with fluctuating state revenues. The governor slashed $375 million from the state budget in 2024, temporarily froze hiring in the executive branch and pushed state lawmakers to give her more authority to reduce spending across all state government.

Rising utility bills have also become a flashpoint on Beacon Hill after Republicans zeroed in on state-mandated fees they argued are driving up prices for homeowners and renters this winter.

Three Republicans running to challenge Healey next year — Mike Kennealy, Brian Shortsleeve and Michael Minogue — are hoping to seize on those issues as they try to convince voters they are best positioned to challenge the governor in the November general election.

In a statement released Tuesday, Kennealy said the governor “does not deserve re-election by any measure.”

“While the governor tries to shift blame onto others, the people of Massachusetts know the truth: the responsibility for our struggles lies squarely with the state’s chief executive: Maura Healey,” he said.

Shortsleeve said Healey’s “misguided policies” are raising costs for housing and energy.

“Massachusetts simply cannot afford the sequel to this horror story,” he said in a statement. “We need a new governor who will cut taxes, lower energy costs, restore accountability, and make this a state where families and businesses can once again afford to stay and succeed.”

Healey remains popular among voters and holds comfortable approval ratings, polling shows.

A University of New Hampshire poll released in September showed 51% of likely general election voters in Massachusetts approve of Healey’s job performance. A University of Massachusetts Amherst survey from February pegged Healey’s approval rating at 52%.

In the video announcing her reelection, Healey said she is running for a second term to “lower costs, make life better and stand up to Donald Trump.”

The governor did not outline any specific policy goals but said “I'll stand up to anyone who gets in our way.”

“We're protecting our people and communities, defending health care and abortion rights, providing access to life-saving vaccines, making sure our children and seniors don't go hungry, investing in research, creating jobs, lowering costs for all,” she said.