Since the 2024 gun law’s passage, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said the county has managed to prosecute 17 people who were making and using ghost guns, as well as nine people who fired into homes while residents were inside.
Election 2026
Posted inElection 2026
On Election Day in Lawrence, political corruption, low voter turnout, and uncontested races converge
Lawrence voters, candidates, and civic organizations alike grappled Tuesday with the city’s recent political scandals, historically low turnout, and uncontested races as they tried to mobilize residents and make political change in the city. Though the city’s voter turnout rate increased slightly this election, it still has a long way to go.
Posted inBallot Questions
Voters subject governor and Legislature to public records law, but there’s no guarantee lawmakers will comply
All eyes will now turn to the House and Senate, where negotiators need to decide in the next eight weeks whether to follow through on an earlier proposal to substitute their own idea for public records access for the version that four out of five voters embraced.
Posted inBallot Questions
New nature conservation fund wins voter approval, setting stage for funding fight
Passage of the ballot question now means a new nature conservation fund will be established to support clean drinking water, create and improve local parks, and protect wildlife habitats without raising taxes or levying a new one.
Posted inBallot Questions
Primary election reform backers concede as ballot measure falls short
Voters rebuffed an attempt to inject more competition into the state’s low-energy elections by shuttling all candidates through a single primary contest, regardless of their party affiliation.
Posted inPolitics
Democrats, in seismic blue wave, continue domination in Massachusetts as they take back power in Washington
In a national political environment favoring Democrats, Bay State voters chose to stick with Healey and Markey at the top of the ticket for another term in this Democratic stronghold.
Posted inBallot Questions
Backers of primary election overhaul say the proposal is ‘Massachusetts-grown.’ For years, its top donors funded similar efforts across the country.
Campaign finance records paint a more nuanced picture of who’s backing the measure, and color the Bay State as the next front in a national debate over systemic reforms intended to fix persistent electoral problems.
Posted inElection 2026
South Coast could be battleground in governor’s race
The governor’s stop in Fall River was her second event of the day in Bristol County, following an energy-focused stop at Attleboro’s senior center Wednesday morning.
Posted inElection 2026
Minogue highlights sheriffs’ concerns with PROTECT Act
Twelve sheriffs have asked Gov. Maura Healey to consider addressing what they’re calling “an unintended public safety consequence” of a law intended to guard against overzealous immigration law enforcement by ICE.
Posted inBallot Questions
Ballotmania: Inside the flurry of measures upending Massachusetts politics
The record-tying number of initiatives on the ballot next week put Beacon Hill on the defensive, and it’s resurfaced thorny questions about the powers and pitfalls of lawmaking by statewide vote.
Posted inBallot Questions
Political Notebook: Question 8 surpasses Question 3 as most expensive ballot question
An early-October burst of spending by opponents of an attempt to eliminate the recreational marijuana industry has pushed the total amount spent on that measure (Question 8) to nearly $6.5 million. That’s a good chunk more than the $5.9 million spent for and against the all-party primary question so far.
Posted inBallot Questions
Here’s why you should view polling results on ballot questions differently than polls on races between candidates
We’ve been conditioned for years to read polls based on who is ahead, but we should not apply the same “horse race” lens used in candidate races to ballot question polls.
Posted inElection 2026
Minogue says he’ll govern without a lieutenant governor after Oliver’s arrest
Ballots are already printed with Oliver’s name next to Minogue’s as a joint ticket, and over 200,000 voters have already cast their ballots through early voting.
Posted inElection 2026
Affordability and accountability dominate Healey-Minogue finale
Gov. Maura Healey and Republican challenger Mike Minogue clashed over rising energy costs, abortion rights, and accountability for misconduct in their second and final gubernatorial debate before Election Day.
Posted inElection 2026
Dionne would use ‘bully pulpit’ to press for more local aid
Elizabeth Dionne appeared on GBH Radio on Tuesday and detailed how she sees the state Treasury addressing “affordability via local aid.”
Posted inPolitics
Healey cruising in reelection bid with Trump high on voters’ mind, survey shows
A new MassINC Polling Group survey finds that Bay Staters are still concerned about Gov. Maura Healey’s response to affordability concerns, even as she appears poised to win reelection with relative ease.
Posted inElection 2026
Rising costs await winners this election cycle
As cost-of-living pressures bearing down on Massachusetts residents become painfully obvious, the state’s gubernatorial candidates are centering affordability in their 2026 campaigns.
