A long 2026 campaign gives Mass. GOP hopefuls time to knock Healey

• Former Baker administration housing and economic development secretary Mike Kennealy said he's running last week.

Why it matters: Launching a GOP campaign for governor 18 months before the election gives Kennealy, and whoever else jumps in after him, plenty of time to work on two things:

• Find out where Healey is most vulnerable
• And distance their campaign from President Trump's GOP brand.

Healey is most open to attack on the issue she campaigned on almost exclusively in 2022: the cost of living in Massachusetts.

• National factors outside Beacon Hill's control are at play, but costs have continued to go up throughout Healey's term, according to data from the Council for Community and Economic Research.
• The research outfit's composite cost index for Boston rose from 149.9 to 152.2 between quarter one of 2023, when Healey entered office, to quarter four of last year.
• Costs went up for housing, groceries, utilities, health care and transportation.

What they're saying: "She's dropped the ball on every issue that matters. Costs are too high, taxes are too high, energy bills are too high," Brian Shortsleeve, former board member and later acting general manager of the MBTA under former Gov. Charlie Baker, told Axios.

• Shortsleeve says he's thinking about his own run for governor and has been talking to "grassroots Republicans" around the state, where he says he's received a "great response."

Between the lines: Healey's job approval rating was just above water, 52%, in a UMass poll conducted in February.

Yes, but: The governor's reputation with lower-income and less-educated voters shows signs of a significant split in the coalition that won her 64% of the vote in 2022.

• Healey's approval rating among those with high school educations or less dropped from 54% in October to 37% in February.

• Her approval from voters making less than $40,000 a year went from 58% to 40% over the same time.

Before any Republican can take advantage of Healey's weaknesses, they'll have to appeal to unenrolled voters enough to be viable in November.

• Remember, Massachusetts voters are 26% Democrat, 8% Republican and 65% unenrolled.
• And since Trump is still far from popular in the Bay State, GOP hopefuls might want to show voters they aren't on board with this White House's policies or tactics.

For Kennealy, that meant touting his connections to his old boss, Baker — no one's idea of a MAGA Republican.

• The candidate went so far in distancing himself from the GOP that he neglected to include his party affiliation in his campaign launch materials. It was later confirmed that, yes, he's a Republican.
• That didn't stop the Mass. Democratic Party from labeling him "MAGA Mike" in a video response to his candidacy.

What's next: Expect more Republicans to jump in, a messy MAGA vs. Baker-publican primary and for Healey to launch her reelection pitch.

• And there's always a chance Auditor Diana DiZoglio will crash the party.