Republicans in Massachusetts will choose which candidate for governor is endorsed by the party at the state's Republican Convention being held in Worcester this weekend. More than 4,000 delegates will assemble at the DCU center to narrow the field between three Republican candidates vying for the office held by incumbent Democratic Governor Maura Healey.
Mike Kinnealy was a former economic development secretary under Governor Charlie Baker. He's up against former MBTA chief Brian Shortsleeve, and Mike Minogue — previously an executive of a biotechnology company. All three have a similar foundation to their platforms: Massachusetts is too expensive to live or do business in.
Amy Carnevale is chair of the state's Republican Party. She says that will be a major theme of the convention, and that affordability is at the top of voters minds.
"The issues that Republicans are talking most about are issues I think are of concern to most people living in Massachusetts, and that's the cost of living," Carnevale said.
The three candidates have all adopted degrees of Trump politics — like a hardline stance on immigration — hoping to capture the third of the state that voted him for president in 2024. That represents a slight shift for candidates Kinnealy and Shortsleeve, whose political histories have roots in a more moderate conservatism embodied by figures like former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.
"Republicans are generally supportive of the policies of the Trump administration," Carnevale explained. "That being said, our convention will mostly be focused on state issues. After all, we are focused on nominating state candidates."
Speaking at this weekend's event is Tamara Jachym, the mother of Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, a Granby native who was shot and killed while interning in Washington D.C this past summer. Carnevale says they connected shortly after the shooting through social media.
"Since that time, she received a condolence letter from President Trump," Carnavale said. "And I was able to hand deliver that and actually read that at at Eric's funeral."
Carnevale says Jachym will speak about policies in Massachusetts that she argues have been favoring "criminals over victims."
This year's Massachusetts Republican Convention kicks off Saturday, April 25th. On top of determining which gubernatorial candidate receives the party's nomination, delegates will also endorse candidates for state Attorney General, Treasurer, and U.S. Senate seats.