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PUBLIC RECORDS: Massachusetts voters on Tuesday gave overwhelming approval to a ballot measure subjecting the House, Senate, and governor’s office to the state’s public records law. There’s just one catch: In the remaining eight weeks between the election and the start of the next lawmaking term, Democrats who control the Legislature might erase what voters decided in a landslide. Chris Lisinski has more.
BALLOT QUESTIONS: With all but one of the nine ballot measures decided, all but two of their outcomes official, and a slew of new policies heading into effect in the next few years, eyes are now on Beacon Hill and how legislators choose to respond to the will of the voters. Jennifer Smith explains how it all shook out.
OPINION: A Beacon Hill conference committee is negotiating legislation to restrict use of social media by young people. With huge evidence of the harmful impact of online platforms on youth, lawmakers should seize the chance to lead on the issue and not compromise on half-measures, writes Matthew Allaire, executive director of Commonwealth IRL, an advocacy group focused on reining in the influence of addictive technology on young people.
November 5, 2026
By HALLIE CLAFLIN
Not many political campaigns are born in a bar a month before Election Day, but Diego Leonardo’s decision to run for state office certainly wasn’t the most striking news to come out of Lawrence this year.
In September, the 34-year-old college professor and biotech company owner stopped by Sazón Perú, a Peruvian restaurant and bar, to grab a drink. There, he watched the local evening news being broadcast on multiple TVs.
On one was a segment detailing Mayor Brian DePeña’s arrest after federal prosecutors in August charged him with fraud and money laundering.
On another, there was a segment covering the 11-count indictment of state Rep. Francisco Paulino, a Democrat representing Lawrence and Methuen, who was also arrested and charged in August with eight counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering.
Both men have pleaded not guilty.
“I thought, ‘Wow, it’s so embarrassing to live here. What are we doing?’” Leonardo recalls.
The city of 90,000 is no stranger to political corruption scandal.
Since the end of 2023 alone, a city councilor was charged with and pleaded guilty to voter fraud, DePeña’s former chief of staff was sentenced for transporting and possessing child pornography, and Attorney General Andrea Campbell launched a criminal investigation into allegations of secret audio recording inside Lawrence City Hall. More than a decade ago, William Lantigua was also shrouded in scandal throughout his time as mayor.
That night earlier this fall, Leonardo struck up a conversation with other bargoers about corruption in Lawrence and the city’s historical lack of competitive elections. Some said they wouldn’t waste their time voting this year.
That’s when Leonardo, an immigrant from Guatemala, asked if they would vote for someone like him. They said they would.
“The next day, I called some community leaders and said, ‘What do you think about me running?’” Leonardo said. “They said, ‘Yeah, next year we definitely need somebody.’ And I was like, ‘Not next year — now.’”
More Context
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POLITICS: Democrats score seismic victories around the country as they take back power in Washington. Here at home, Gov. Maura Healey and US Sen. Ed Markey decisively won reelection as Democrats continue to dominate Massachusetts politics, Jordan Wolman reports.
QUESTION 3: Supporters of a ballot question that would usher in all-party primaries conceded defeat Tuesday night as Bay Staters opted to keep the current separate Democratic and Republican primary system in place, Chris Lisinski reports.
QUESTION 6: Massachusetts voters approved the creation of a new nature conservation fund, passing Question 6 with roughly 60 percent of the vote, Jordan Wolman details.
OPINION: Rural microtransit options are vital to residents in more remote corners of Massachusetts – and it makes economic sense to expand those services, argue Reggie Ramos, the head of Transportation for Massachusetts, and Gwynne Guzzeau, executive director of Helping Our Women.
What We’re Reading
BOSTON: The family of Louisa Gag, the Boston transportation planner killed by a truck while riding her bike in Mission Hill in July, addressed the Boston City Council on Wednesday, pleading for action to improve Boston street safety. (WBUR)
IMMIGRATION: The portion of the PROTECT Act that prohibits civil immigration arrests in and around courthouses without a judicial warrant went into effect on Tuesday, but advocates say it’s already been violated. (GBH News)
ELECTION: Daniel Darris-O’Connor, a 19-year-old Billerica Democrat, unseated an eight-term Republican lawmaker Tuesday, making him one of the youngest representatives-elect in Massachusetts history and a member of the blue wave that swept through all levels of politics during Tuesday’s midterm elections. (The Boston Globe – paywall)
MCGOVERN: Now that Democrats have won control of Congress, US Rep. Jim McGovern is one of several Massachusetts delegation members slated to swap their minority party jobs for powerful majority party roles. The ranking member of the House Committee on Rules, McGovern could chair the committee that decides how and when bills are debated and voted on in the House. (State House News Service – paywall)
MINOGUE: Mike Minogue’s political future remains uncertain as the GOP megadonor mulls another run for office. In a post-election interview, Minogue did not guarantee a second attempt at the Corner Office in 2030, only saying that he is going to consider his options and ambitions over the next four years after his defeat Tuesday to Gov. Maura Healey. (Boston Herald – paywall)
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