The GOP's lieutenant governor nominee is out, but he's not off the ballot.

Shawn Oliver, the New Bedford city councilor and Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, pleaded not guilty Monday in New Bedford District Court to drunken driving, negligent operation, a marked lanes violation, and speeding. Police say he plowed into five parked cars on Dartmouth Street late Saturday and flipped his Lincoln Navigator. According to a police report, he admitted to drinking "at least" two alcoholic beverages beforehand. He was released on personal recognizance, his license is suspended, and he's due back in court Nov. 16.

Politically, the damage is already done and can't be undone. Oliver suspended his campaign Sunday only after running mate Mike Minogue, the GOP nominee for governor, publicly called him out and pressured him to step aside. But hundreds of thousands of mail ballots have already been cast and early in-person voting is open through Oct. 30, so Oliver's name stays on the ballot next to Minogue's. Minogue says he'd ask for Oliver's resignation if they somehow won.

That's a long shot. A new UMass Amherst/WCVB poll, conducted before the Oliver news, has Gov. Maura Healey at 57% to Minogue's 32%. The practical effect of the scandal is less about the governor's race and more about the Republican brand down-ballot, in a year when the party already has little to cheer about on Beacon Hill. Expect Democratic Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll to cruise, and expect MassGOP chair Amy Carnevale to spend the next two weeks trying to change the subject.

Full story at Boston Globe →

Nine ballot questions, one very long ballot. Massachusetts voters face a record-tying nine statewide questions on Nov. 3, the most in more than three decades. WBUR rounded up all nine explainers and collected tips from election officials on tackling the multipage ballot. The League of Women Voters says it's fielding more requests for help than usual, so you're not the only one feeling overwhelmed. WBUR →

Question 1 would open the governor's office and Legislature to public records requests. Massachusetts is the only state that exempts all three branches of government from its public records law. Under the measure, communications between lawmakers and constituents and policy-development materials would stay exempt. The UMass/WCVB poll found 84% support. Legislative leaders have been negotiating a narrower alternative behind closed doors, and it's unclear how that would interact with the ballot question. GBH News →

Question 2 asks whether public defenders can unionize. About 800 employees of the Committee for Public Counsel Services, roughly half attorneys and half support staff, lack the collective bargaining rights most state workers have, thanks to a technicality in state law. SEIU Local 888 tried the Legislature for six cycles before turning to voters. As one analyst put it, it's a narrow issue that landed on the ballot because it couldn't move any other way. GBH News →

Follow the money: $21.6 million raised on the ballot questions. Twenty-one committees have collectively spent $16.7 million to support or oppose the nine questions, according to the latest campaign finance records. Several committees cover multiple questions, which makes per-question fundraising hard to untangle. Boston.com →

Medford hired a music teacher with a buried past. Michael Dampier led Medford's marching band for 16 months before an anonymous email alerted officials that he resigned from a Florida teaching job nearly a decade ago while under investigation for a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old student. It was reported in local media at the time, and a phone call to his prior employer likely would have caught it. The Globe's reporting raises hard questions about whether background checks alone are enough. Boston Globe →

Suspicious mail hit several Massachusetts lawmakers' offices. A parcel containing an unknown powdery substance went to Rep. Seth Moulton's Salem office Friday. Similar mailings reached Secretary of State Bill Galvin and the district offices of Reps. Jake Auchincloss, Katherine Clark, Stephen Lynch, Ayanna Pressley, and Lori Trahan. The FBI and Postal Inspection Service are investigating a nationwide series of such mailings. Boston.com →

• Early in-person voting runs through Oct. 30. Election Day is Nov. 3. The Globe's voter guide covers the races for US Senate (where Ed Markey faces John Deaton, Shiva Ayyadurai, and Joe Tache), governor, and more. Boston Globe →
• Question 3 on all-party primaries is the most contested of the nine. CommonWealth Beacon posted audio of its Oct. 13 debate between Danielle Allen and Jordan Berg Powers. CommonWealth Beacon →
• Shawn Oliver returns to New Bedford District Court on Nov. 16. CBS Boston →

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Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Ballot Question Committees

• Committee for Fair Campaign Finance — N/A, No office — Filed: 10/13/2026

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