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THE MASS BRIEF
Monday, April 27, 2026
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The Lead
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The GOP's Mike Moment
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Massachusetts Republicans emerged from Worcester's DCU Arena on Saturday with a clear direction — and a messy process. Former Abiomed CEO Mike Minogue steamrolled his way to the party's gubernatorial endorsement, pulling 70 percent of delegate votes and leaving very little doubt about who the GOP base wants to send against Governor Maura Healey in November. Minogue, a Gloucester resident who has pumped $12.5 million of his own money into the race and hosted Vice President J.D. Vance at a fundraiser last year, leaned hard into immigration, affordability, and faith. The crowd ate it up. The convention itself was a bit of a mess — long lines, vote-tallying hiccups, and a delay so extended that one candidate started buying delegates drinks at the bar. More than 150 delegates apparently gave up and went home before the gubernatorial vote, which may have skewed the final numbers. Former MBTA chief Brian Shortsleeve scraped onto the September primary ballot with just 15.5 percent, barely clearing the threshold. Former Baker administration official Mike Kennealy finished at 14 percent, ending his campaign. So the September 1st primary will be a two-man race: Minogue vs. Shortsleeve. What happens next is the real question. Minogue has the money, the endorsement, and the energy of a base that's clearly moved in a more Trumpward direction since Charlie Baker's era. But Massachusetts is still a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans by a wide margin, and Healey enters the fall as an incumbent with strong approval numbers. Shortsleeve will argue he's the more electable, tested candidate — and he's not wrong that the general election math is brutal for a convention darling. Watch for the Shortsleeve campaign to go directly at Minogue's political inexperience over the next four months. |
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What Else You Should Know
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Wellesley Children Killed in Alleged Custody Case Murder
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In a heartbreaking development that shook the state this weekend, Janette MacAusland, 49, of Wellesley, is accused of killing her two young children — 7-year-old Kai and 6-year-old Ella — amid a contentious divorce and custody dispute. MacAusland was apprehended in Vermont and is expected in Bennington County Superior Court Monday on a fugitive from justice charge while Massachusetts authorities seek her extradition. The children attended Schofield Elementary School. |
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ICE Cooperation Is the Norm in Mass. Police Departments, New Report Finds
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A new report from nonprofit Citizens for Juvenile Justice finds that cooperation with federal immigration authorities is widespread across Massachusetts law enforcement — despite the state's reputation as a sanctuary haven. Of 62 police departments surveyed, 28 had explicit policies allowing or requiring collaboration with ICE, while only three had rules restricting it. The findings complicate the narrative around Massachusetts as a protective state for immigrants, and will likely fuel renewed debate on Beacon Hill. |
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Hampshire College Closure Should Alarm Western Mass
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Hampshire College's board voted earlier this month to permanently close the Amherst institution, triggering hundreds of layoffs and sending a warning signal about the fragility of Western Massachusetts's education-heavy economy. The region has fewer and smaller colleges than Greater Boston, meaning each closure hits harder — and comes at a moment when federal attacks on higher education and health care funding are squeezing institutions statewide. |
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Marshfield Is in a Full-Blown Governance Crisis
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The town of Marshfield is juggling a $7.4 million budget deficit, a Select Board chair facing a recall election, and a deadlocked board that can't even agree on appointing an interim Town Administrator. At a recent meeting, Chair Eric Kelley declined to set a date for his own recall election — citing a need for legal consultation — even after signatures were officially certified. With a May 2nd election for an open Select Board seat just days away, voters will have a say in who helps steer the town out of the mess. |
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Weymouth Threads the Budget Needle
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While neighboring South Shore communities are wrestling with potential tax overrides, Weymouth Mayor Mike Molisse presented a $227.4 million FY2027 budget that fully funds town services without asking residents for more. Acting CFO Ted Langill credited a decade of aggressive new growth attraction — including $20 million in new revenue — for keeping the town in what Molisse called "great shape" while others are in crisis. |
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Davis Square's 26-Story Tower Just Got a Redesign
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The developer behind the proposed Copper Mill project in Somerville's Davis Square will present revised, shorter designs tonight after state agency MassHousing pumped the brakes on a 26-story, 502-unit building that towered over a neighborhood zoned for four stories. The project still includes 126 affordable units, and the developer is trying to use the state's Chapter 40B process to bypass local zoning — but the state wants changes before that can move forward. |
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Worth Your Attention
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Tonight: Pembroke Select Board Forum — WATD hosts four candidates vying for two Select Board seats, running from 7–8 p.m.; stream it live at 959watd.com or submit questions by noon today at [email protected]. WATD → |
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Tonight: Davis Square Copper Mill Redesign Presentation — The developer will present new building designs at the Davis Square Neighborhood Council meeting; community members can offer feedback on the revised, shorter proposal. Cambridge Day → |
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May 2nd: Marshfield Town Election — With a $7.4 million deficit looming and the Select Board in disarray, voters choose among Rick Smith, Joe Pecevich, and Frank Doran for an open board seat that could meaningfully shift the town's direction. South Shore News → |
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New on the Ballot
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Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance: Candidates
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One More Thing
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New Bedford's Housing Court has a quiet, underreported lifeline: volunteer "Lawyer of the Day" attorneys from South Coastal Counties Legal Services who show up on mediation days to help tenants who would otherwise face eviction proceedings entirely alone. It won't solve the housing crisis, but it's the kind of thing that actually changes individual lives — and it's worth knowing it exists if you or someone you know ever needs it. |
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