Why the left in Mass. won't challenge Maura Healey
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Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios; Photo: David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Deehan here, back with Spill of the Hill, my column unraveling Massachusetts politics.
After three years in office, Gov. Maura Healey has governed more moderately than some who knew her as a combative attorney general had expected.
- But any chafing liberals have experienced with Healey's middle-road method hasn't translated into a primary challenge against the still very popular Democrat as she pursues a second term.
Why it matters: Healey is far from the darling of her party's left wing, but mounting a primary campaign against her isn't a priority for progressives more concerned with the White House than the corner office.
What they're saying: "Voters like Maura Healey, and they like the job she's doing in an era where nobody likes anything," Democratic political consultant Mary Anne Marsh told Axios, pointing to polls showing stable public approval for the governor.
The big picture: Marsh argues voters reward Healey for managing inherited crises while fighting Trump.
Call it the Massachusetts left's ultimate pragmatism: Healey will cruise to renomination without meaningful primary opposition more because of campaign math than lefty enthusiasm.
- Progressives weigh political capital against long shot races, even if they believe the governor may not be meeting the moment, says Jonathan Cohn, policy director for liberal group Progressive Massachusetts.
State of play: Healey enjoys strong approval ratings, though Cohn says many in progressive circles "don't think she's stepping up at all."
- The barrier to a primary isn't satisfaction, it's resources, he said.
Running a statewide race requires big money and bigger infrastructure. That makes potential challengers reluctant to "burn a lot of the bridges" with Democratic bigwigs and donors for a race they likely can't win, Cohn said.
- "People who donated to [any primary challenger] over the years will probably not return their calls," Cohn said, noting candidates fear losing access and making enemies in the Democratic establishment.
Between the lines: Progressives have cited Healey's approach to ICE collaboration and emergency shelter policies as points of frustration.
- Many on the left want something similar to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's more confrontational approach to Trump policies.
- "She tries to shy away from fights," Cohn said, while progressive activists want to see urgency matching the Trump-era moment.
What we're watching: Healey may begin to give the left more of what they want. Her State of the Commonwealth speech last week included some of her strongest language against Trump since she's been in office.
The bottom line: Practical realities outweigh ideological purity when challenging an incumbent — especially when a quixotic primary challenge requires burning bridges with minimal chance of return.