Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey wins reelection after strengthening protections for trans health care

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey defeated Republican Mike Minogue to win a second term, extending the tenure of one of the nation’s first out lesbian governors.Decision Desk HQ called the election at 10:13 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday night. With 24 percent of the vote counted, Healey had 63 percent compared with Minogue’s 33 percent. Independent candidate Andrea James had received under four percent of the vote.Healey, a Democrat, became the first out LGBTQ+ person elected to statewide office in Massachusetts in 2014, when she won the attorney general race. During her eight-year tenure, she advocated for gun control, sought to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for their role in the opioid epidemic, and challenged President Donald Trump’s 2017 travel restrictions targeting several Muslim-majority countries, widely known as the “Muslim ban.”In 2022, Healey and Oregon’s Tina Kotek became the first out lesbian candidates elected governor in the United States. During her first term, Healey prioritized access to reproductive care after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, established the Office of Climate Innovation and Resilience, and expanded the state’s child and family tax credit. In 2023, her administration also established a state police unit to investigate hate crimes.Related: Massachusetts lesbian Gov. Maura Healey signs abortion and gender-affirming care shield lawIn August 2025, Healey signed an updated shield law strengthening protections for abortion and gender-affirming care providers and their patients. The measure built on legislation signed by her Republican predecessor, Gov. Charlie Baker, in 2022.The updated law strengthened privacy protections and restrictions on cooperation with out-of-state investigations into care legally provided in Massachusetts.“Massachusetts will always be a state where patients can access high-quality health care and providers are able to do their jobs without government interference,” Healey said