Final debate before Election Day

Democratic incumbent Gov. Maura Healey and Republican Mike Minogue debated October fifteenth, twenty twenty-six at WCVB-TV's studio in Needham, Massachusetts, cohosted with WBUR-FM and The Boston Globe.

The central argument

Minogue, a former CEO of a medical device company, argued Massachusetts needs new leadership to improve affordability challenges. Healey defended her record on tax cuts and housing policy.

Minogue attacks natural gas record

Minogue said Healey stopped natural gas pipelines coming into Massachusetts. This accurately describes her actions about a decade ago when she was state attorney general.

“stopped the natural gas pipelines coming in”

Healey's pipeline reasoning

Healey said she blocked pipelines because the developer wanted ratepayers, not the company, to pay for construction. In twenty fifteen, her office authorized a study finding Massachusetts didn't need new pipelines through twenty thirty.

“ratepayers and not the developer, not the company, to pay for it”

Healey reverses course on gas

Amid today's high energy costs, Healey has reversed course. On October first, twenty twenty-six, Healey asked the Trump administration to speed up natural gas expansion into Massachusetts.

Healey's energy bill claim

Healey said she filed legislation that would save about thirteen billion dollars. An independent analysis commissioned by her administration estimated savings of eleven point fifty-eight billion to fourteen point thirty-five billion dollars over ten years.

“save us about $13 billion”

Critics dispute savings estimate

The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, a conservative advocacy group, said the estimate was inflated because it did not reflect the bill's costs for ratepayers.

Massachusetts electricity costs

Minogue said Massachusetts is one of the most expensive places for electricity. That's accurate. Massachusetts ranked fourth as of July twenty twenty-six at thirty point forty-nine cents per kilowatt hour.

“one of the most expensive places for electricity”

LaMar Cook's arrest and firing

LaMar Cook, deputy director of Healey's western Massachusetts office, was fired after Healey learned he was arrested October twenty-eighth, twenty twenty-five for trafficking cocaine.

Cook's severance and SNAP fraud

The state paid Cook twenty-two thousand three hundred seventy-four dollars and twenty-nine cents in net pay for accrued vacation leave after his firing.

Cook's false SNAP application

Cook applied for SNAP benefits April sixth and falsely claimed he had less than one hundred dollars in his bank account.