Mike Minogue won 70% at the Massachusetts GOP convention and defeated former MBTA executive Brian Shortsleeve to take on Gov. Maura Healey.
Page F2From§Eachthe sunrise edition — 2 September 2026
House Democrat survives left-flank challenge as self-funded CEO claims GOP nomination
The ledger doesn’t blink. On one side, a House Democrat survives a challenge from the left, backed by volunteers and insurgents. On the other, a self-funded CEO clinches the GOP nomination, cash on hand and a marketing budget to match. The ballot’s cost is measured not in votes, but in dollars. The volunteers fight for the seat, the CEO buys theirs. The receipts are neat, the price tags longer than the lines at the polling station. Democracy’s price isn’t hidden; it’s printed on the ticket. The strongest campaign isn’t always the most popular. It’s the most solvent. The gap between the challenger and the incumbent is measured in fundraising emails. The system works, hon, but the system is expensive.
“It’s the same ballot: one side spends millions to stay in office, the other spends millions to buy their way in. Democracy’s price tag is printed right on the ticket.”
“It’s proof the system works: anyone can run, and the strongest candidates win. Did I say strongest? I meant the best funded. Or maybe I didn’t. I think I did.”
The receipts
Jake Auchincloss advanced against progressive challenger Jason Poulos, who campaigned on Medicare-for-all and ending U.S. military aid to Israel.
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.