Massachusetts could be first state with simultaneous female governor and lieutenant governor
Published Date: 9/7/2022
Source: axios.com

Women are likely to win five of the six statewide executive positions in Massachusetts after last night's primaries.

Why it matters: Massachusetts is poised to become the first state with a female governor and lieutenant governor serving simultaneously.


What we're watching: Attorney General Maura Healey (D) won the Democratic nomination for governor. If successful in November, she'll be the the first female elected governor of Massachusetts.

  • Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll (D) won the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, while former state Rep. Leah Cole Allen won the Republican nomination.
  • Former Boston City Councilwoman Andrea Campbell (D) won the Democratic nomination in the open-seat contest for attorney general.
  • Massachusetts State Senator Diana DiZoglio (D) won the Democratic nomination for state auditor.
  • Deb Goldberg, the state treasurer, is running unopposed for reelection.
  • Rayla Campbell (R) was unopposed for the Republican nomination the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent Secretary of State William Francis Galvin (D).

The intrigue: Voters in three other states — Republicans in Arkansas and Democrats in Oklahoma and Ohio — nominated women for governor and lieutenant this year, according to Rutgers University’s Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP).

  • Women currently hold three of the four statewide executive positions in Michigan.

Flashback: Michelle Wu was elected as Boston's first woman mayor last year and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) became the first woman from Massachusetts to serve in the U.S. Senate when she was elected in 2012.

What they're saying: “While this is not entirely new, it’s definitely notable. Not only are they a high percentage of nominees but they are also in contests where they are favored to win. It’s a point of progress," CAWP director of research Kelly Dittmar told Axios.

  • "Massachusetts is breaking a lot of barriers and it's great to see," Christina Reynolds, VP of communications at Emily's List, told Axios.
  • "I think it will provide a great example for women considering running and also for voters to remind them that women are absolutely great leaders."