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The Mass Brief
Saturday, April 25, 2026
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The Lead
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The MassGOP Picks Its Horse — or Tries To
The Massachusetts Republican Party descended on the DCU Center in Worcester today for its nominating convention, and the 2026 governor's race is suddenly real. Three candidates — former Baker administration economic development secretary Mike Kennealy, former MBTA General Manager Brian Shortsleeve, and former biotech executive Mike Minogue — are all competing for the chance to challenge whoever the Democrats put up in November. To make the primary ballot, each needs 15% of the 2,378 registered delegates in the room. The optics here are interesting. All three candidates have leaned into support for President Trump — a notable calculation in a state where Trump remains deeply unpopular. Convention-goers heard a lot about Beacon Hill corruption, legislative audits, and the perils of one-party rule. That's a coherent message. Whether it's a winning message in Massachusetts is the question that will define the entire fall campaign. In a state where registered Democrats and unenrolled voters dwarf Republicans, the GOP nominee will need to run as a credible alternative — not just a protest vote. Also at the convention: attorney and cryptocurrency advocate John Deaton was nominated for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Ed Markey. The race is shaping up to be a test of whether Republican energy, combined with voter frustration over affordability, can actually move the needle in deep-blue Massachusetts. |
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What Else You Should Know
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AG Campbell sues EPA over soot standards
Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell joined 11 other states in suing the Trump administration's EPA for refusing to implement a 2024 Clean Air Act rule tightening limits on fine particulate matter — the tiny combustion particles that slip past your lungs and into your bloodstream. Massachusetts is one of the states most affected by pollution drifting in from upwind industrial sources, so this isn't just symbolic. Expect this case to move slowly through federal courts. |
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Plymouth police chase ends in fatal crash on Route 3A
A domestic violence call Friday morning in Plymouth turned deadly after the suspect fled police in a blue Volvo, driving erratically on Route 3 before officers ended the pursuit — only to have the Volvo slam head-on into a Porsche Macan on Warren Avenue moments later. The suspect died; the Porsche driver, a woman, was hospitalized with four broken ribs, a punctured lung, a fractured vertebrae, and a concussion. Her family says she's expected to survive. The incident remains under investigation by State Police. |
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Voters heading to the polls on the South Shore today
It's local election day in several South Shore communities. In Bridgewater, three candidates are battling for one District One Town Council seat. In Carver, School Committee and Planning Board races are contested. In Abington, three candidates are vying for two open Select Board seats with no incumbents running. Polls are open today — check your town's hours before you head out. |
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Harvard poll: Young Americans have almost completely lost faith
A new Harvard Youth Poll finds that only 13% of Americans ages 18–29 think the country is on the right track, and trust in the federal government has hit 15% — the lowest level in the poll's 26-year history. Perhaps more alarming for anyone thinking about 2026 turnout: only a third of young people believe the upcoming elections will even be conducted fairly. John Della Volpe, who runs the Harvard Kennedy School poll, says we may be witnessing a fundamental break from belief in the system itself — not just dissatisfaction with who's running it. |
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State awards $2.15M to help homebuyers and prevent foreclosures
The Healey-Driscoll administration's Division of Banks announced $2.15 million in grants to 24 organizations statewide for first-time homebuyer education and foreclosure prevention counseling. In a housing market this brutal, that kind of practical support — helping people understand what they can afford, or avoid losing what they have — matters. A new UNH poll out this week also found that 59% of Massachusetts voters support lowering the state income tax, with housing and cost of living cited as the top concerns by a wide margin. |
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Salem human trafficking bust follows months of undercover work
Three people — including two from Peabody and one from Shrewsbury — were arrested and arraigned this week after Salem police spent months investigating two businesses on Boston Street suspected of operating a prostitution and human trafficking ring. Police chief Lucas Miller called it "as much a rescue operation as it is a criminal investigation." All three defendants pleaded not guilty and are being held on bail. |
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Worth Your Attention
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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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The Mass Brief publishes every morning. Forward this to someone who should be reading it. |
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