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17h ago

Minogue Seeks Healey Debates as Shortsleeve Stays in Massachusetts GOP Race

The clash over debates tests whether Republicans rally behind a convention favorite or let voters weigh two very different profiles.

Mike Minogue and his wife, Renee, speak to the media at the Massachusetts Republican Party's nominating convention in Worcester.
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Overview

  • Minogue, fresh off winning more than 70 percent of delegates at last month’s party convention, called for two debates with Gov. Maura Healey and said it is time for Republicans to unite.
  • Shortsleeve, who made the Sept. 1 primary ballot with 15.5 percent, rejected calls to quit and pushed for head-to-head GOP debates, calling the convention an insider spectacle.
  • Pressure mounted on Shortsleeve from multiple sides, with a pro-Minogue super PAC urging him to suspend and Democrats and the Boston Globe editorial board calling for GOP primary debates.
  • The rivals split on abortion and brand, with Shortsleeve backing abortion rights and labeling Minogue unelectable, and Minogue identifying as pro-life with national GOP ties that include hosting JD Vance and donating to President Trump and the RNC.
  • In a state with about 423,000 registered Republicans and fewer than 1,800 convention voters, the debate fight could decide whether the party courts independents through a contest or tries to consolidate early.