Self-funded executive Mike Minogue clinches GOP nod to face Gov. Maura Healey

Mike Minogue, who previously headed Abiomed after a stint at GE Healthcare, emerged victorious in the Massachusetts Republican gubernatorial primary, beating former MBTA official Brian Shortsleeve. Minogue financed about $7 million of the $7.5 million raised in the first quarter and highlighted his role in creating the world’s smallest heart pump and expanding Abiomed’s headquarters in Danvers. His campaign gained a social-media boost when investor Kevin O’Leary appeared in a video, noting he rarely supports politicians.

Democratic Governor Maura Healey, seeking re-election, responded with a last-minute advertisement branding Minogue “MAGA Mike.” Other statewide Democrats, including Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, also ran unopposed, while Republicans lack candidates in roughly half of the congressional districts and several statewide offices. The primary underscores Massachusetts’ mixed political legacy, with past Republican governors such as Charlie Baker and Mitt Romney contrasting the current Democratic dominance in Congress.