Republicans trying to win over unenrolled voters

BOSTON — As someone who was registered as an unenrolled voter for about 18 years, Republican nominee for governor Mike Minogue is aiming to cultivate support from that large group of voters in the general election while vowing to fight the “one-party system” of Democrats who control state government.

Asked about his strategy for campaigning against Democratic incumbent Gov. Maura Healey over the next two months, Minogue observed that most of registered voters are unenrolled and said he thinks “people are fed up with politicians and the political establishment.”

The pool of unenrolled voters in Massachusetts continues to expand, with Democratic enrollment falling below 25% and Republican enrollment down to between 7% and 8%.

According to Minogue’s voter registration record that the News Service obtained from the Hamilton town clerk, the candidate registered as a Republican in April 2025 after around 18 years as an unenrolled voter. In April 2007, Minogue unenrolled from the Republican Party.

“We know that Massachusetts works better when we don’t have a one-party system, and the strategy is just to focus on the issues at hand,” Minogue said.

Those issues, he said, include the rising costs of energy, housing and healthcare, lagging job growth, attracting businesses as well as the legislative audit authorized under a 2024 voter law.

“So I’m going to talk about those things. Those are not blue or red issues. Those are common sense issues that families want,” he said, adding that he’s scored support from Republicans, independent voters and also some Democrats.

“I even have fiscally responsible Democrats that voted for the audit that want their kids to be able to stay here that are supporting me. So, that’s what I’m focused on,” said Minogue, former CEO of Danvers-based medical device company Abiomed. “The nice thing about being the governor is you work for the people. It’s like being the CEO of the state, and you should never put party politics ahead of what’s best for the citizens and the people of Massachusetts. I won’t do that, and I will focus on lowering our costs. That will be my goal.”

Several Bay State Republicans, beginning with former Gov. Bill Weld, who was in office from 1991 to 1997, have convinced voters that more moderate Republicans are necessary to balance the Democrats’ control over the Legislature. Republican Govs. Paul Cellucci, Mitt Romney and Charlie Baker served after Weld, and Democrat Gov. Deval Patrick held the office for two terms. Republican candidates in recent years have run and served while operating under President Donald Trump, who is not popular in Massachusetts but has taken over the Republican Party.

Healey has highlighted Minogue’s donations and support for Trump. Hours after the primary election dust settled, Healey’s campaign sent an email blast seeking donations that said “MAGA Mike Minogue is officially my Republican opponent.”

“I need support from Democrats like you to keep this seat blue and keep Massachusetts moving forward,” the email said.

Romney, Baker and Weld have all criticized Trump. Minogue hasn’t publicly opposed the president but has distanced himself from policies championed by Trump and other national Republicans. In July, Minogue said he has a different outlook on tariffs than the president. Minogue also said he disagrees with cuts to the National Institutes of Health and Trump’s assessment that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is doing a “great job.”

Minogue also describes himself as a pro-life Catholic who would “uphold” current abortion laws. He also says the state should lean on natural gas instead of “disruptive” and “expensive” offshore wind.

Asked why he’s running as a Republican given his past as an independent, Minogue said, “When people ask me what I’m running as I say ‘as an American.’”

“But I do have conservative principles, and I also have a business mind, and I’m an entrepreneur,” he said. “So, I favor the Republican Party because it is better aligned with fiscal discipline and allowing entrepreneurs to not be overburdened.”

“I want to give more people the American dream, and that aligns now with the Republican Party,” Minogue added.

That’s similar to the perspective of Republican U.S. Senate candidate John Deaton, who’s facing incumbent Sen. Ed Markey, a progressive Democrat, in November.

“I think the real message for me is it’s not about right versus left, Democrat versus Republican. It’s career politicians on both sides fighting for power, and so I think an independent voice is the best message,” Deaton said during a primary election night party Tuesday.

Asked how he’d govern differently than Markey, Deaton said, “Independent, that’s the best word to describe me.”

“I would give Massachusetts an independent voice. I don’t have loyalty to a person, i.e. Donald Trump. I don’t have loyalty to a party — the Republican Party. I don’t have loyalty to an agenda. I have loyalty to Massachusetts and America,” Deaton said.

Deaton said he “wrestled with” the idea of running as an Independent instead of Republican. But he said, “when you look at the polling and everything, unfortunately, we live in a two-party system.”

MassGOP Chairwoman Amy Carnevale said most Republicans in Massachusetts have run as “independent-minded” candidates and she expects that trend will continue.

“I think an independent-minded candidate looks at the issue rather than the party,” Carnevale said during Minogue’s primary election night party. “They look at the issue of concern and really what’s good for the constituents in their state and their voter base, rather than what a national party might say is kind of the funny position issue.”

In a statement issued Thursday congratulating the state’s GOP primary winners, Carnevale said the party is now “focused on bringing our message to independent voters and disaffected Democrats who have been left behind by decades of one-party government.”

Katie Castellani is a reporter for State House News Service and State Affairs Pro Massachusetts. Reach her at kcastellani@statehousenews.com.