Union bosses go after Minogue's bank account as the governor's race enters its final month

With 30 days to go until Election Day on Nov. 3, labor leaders gathered in a Dorchester parking lot Saturday to make the case that Republican nominee Michael Minogue is trying to buy the corner office. At a rally outside the IBEW Local 103 hall, AFL-CIO president Chrissy Lynch, a key Healey ally, called Minogue an "out-of-touch mega millionaire" who is spending his own money to look like a moderate. Minogue, a veteran who made his fortune running the medical device company Abiomed before its 2016 sale to Johnson & Johnson, has been pouring cash into television advertising as the race heads into its final stretch.

Minogue's response shows where he thinks the opening is. He accused Healey and her union backers of "political theater" meant to keep members from asking why their pensions are in jeopardy, a charge he pins on what he calls the governor's mismanagement. The exchange is revealing: Healey's team wants this race to be about wealth and Trump (Lynch's "MAGA Mike" label is no accident), while Minogue wants it to be about whether state government is delivering for people who feel squeezed.

Watch the airwaves. Self-funded candidates can flood the zone in October in a way that's hard to match, and a labor rally is as much about turning out the base as about attacking an opponent. The question for the next four weeks is whether the "millionaire" framing sticks, or whether voters care more about the cost-of-living message Minogue is paying to repeat.

Full story at Boston Globe →

Brigham nurses set an open-ended strike date. Nurses at Brigham and Women's Hospital have picked Oct. 14 as the day they walk out, and this time they're not putting an end date on it. If no deal comes together before then, the strike continues until one does. Universal Hub →

Healey wants Washington to hurry up on a gas pipeline. In a letter to Energy Secretary Chris Wright, the governor asked federal officials to set firm timelines and coordinate reviews for the Algonquin pipeline expansion, which her administration says could save about 600,000 Massachusetts customers an estimated $40 million a year. It's a notable pitch from a Democrat who also touts solar, wind, and storage: her "all-of-the-above" energy line now includes more gas, and she's asking the Trump administration for help. Boston.com →

Heating aid may not stretch far enough this winter. The average household is projected to spend $1,030 to heat its home this winter, up $82 from last year, while the average LIHEAP benefit was $467 in fiscal 2025. That could leave families more than $500 short unless Congress boosts funding, which advocates are pushing for. WCVB →

Abington hits the brakes on new development over water. Under a MassDEP emergency declaration that runs at least through Jan. 30, the Abington-Rockland Joint Water Works has stopped approving water for new projects, though accessory dwelling units and bedroom-adding renovations are still allowed. Officials are weighing a roughly $500,000 Brockton bypass now and an $8 million pipeline later. Level four restrictions remain in place, with fines of $100 for a first offense and $300 after. South Shore News →

Marshfield sees a budget squeeze coming. A preliminary forecast shows a $2.765 million gap in fiscal 2028 if school and town budgets each grow 2.5%. Under the revenue-sharing formula, schools would get a 0.7% bump and town departments would have to shrink 3.7%. A projected 39% jump in the town's South Shore Vocational assessment is a big driver. South Shore News →

Whitman-Hanson football game turns ugly. Hanson police are pursuing charges after two fights at Friday's game against Silver Lake. One student allegedly assaulted officers, and in a second fight one student allegedly stomped on another's head. A knife may have been brandished but wasn't used. Boston Globe →

• Oct. 14: Brigham and Women's nurses' strike deadline. Universal Hub →
• Nov. 3: Election Day. The ACLU of Massachusetts and partner groups are training nonpartisan poll monitors for more than 200 cities, including Boston and Cambridge. Cambridge Day →
• Ballot questions: CommonWealth Beacon is collecting listener questions about the 2026 ballot for an upcoming podcast. Leave a voicemail at (617) 858-0510. CommonWealth Beacon →

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

Candidates

• William Falcetano (Republican) — Governor's Council, 5th District — Filed: 10/2/2026
• Diego Leonardo — House, 16th Essex — Filed: 9/28/2026
• Emily Doran (Democratic) — City Councilor, Somerville — Filed: 9/28/2026
• Raymond Boutin (Democratic) — City Councilor, Lowell — Filed: 9/28/2026

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