Democrat · Massachusetts governor · 2026
Maura Healey
Healey grew up the oldest of five children, raised by a single mother who worked as a nurse.
Biography
Maura Healey captained Harvard's basketball team, then spent two years playing professionally in Austria as a point guard standing 5 feet 4 inches tall.1 She lives in Arlington with her partner, Joanna Lydgate.2
The oldest of five children, Healey grew up in a New Hampshire farmhouse with a mother who worked as a nurse.2 Her grandparents taught her to drive a tractor and make jam, while her student jobs included waitressing at a diner and the Hampton Beach Casino.2 After Northeastern Law School, she worked at WilmerHale before moving into the Massachusetts attorney general's office.2
Healey won two terms as attorney general before becoming Massachusetts' first woman elected governor, taking office in 2023.21 In 2024, she signed the Affordable Homes Act, authorizing $5.16 billion in housing spending over five years and changing rules for smaller accessory homes.3 The law allows qualifying accessory apartments in single family residential zones without a special permit, while retaining building requirements.4
Seeking a second term against Republican Mike Minogue in a field that also includes Andrea James, Healey emphasizes housing, healthcare affordability and education.52 Her campaign also promises to oppose Trump administration actions affecting healthcare, food assistance and immigration enforcement, making the state's relationship with Washington part of the choice before voters.2
Record and controversies
Shelter contracts audit
A 2025 state audit found improper emergency procurement, overcharges and inadequate documentation in her administration's shelter food and transportation contracts.6 Housing Secretary Edward Augustus disputed most findings, arguing that rapidly rising demand and the state's shelter obligations required immediate action while regular procurement proceeded.6 The audit concerns agency contracting and oversight; the cited report does not establish that Healey personally committed fraud or received improper payments.6