Email from Massachusetts Republican Party   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 21, 2026 Contact: MassGOP Communications Press Contact: Vincent Errichetti (617) 922-1824 [email protected] 13 Reasons Why We Need a New Governor Boston – Any one of these scandals would force a normal governor to step aside or prompt someone in her own party to speak up. But Massachusetts Democrats close ranks no matter how poorly a governor performs. It held true for Dukakis, and it is holding true for Healey. It is time for voters, the media, and citizens at every level to look at the facts: #1. Healey appointed Parole Board members have released dozens of convicted murderers and violent criminals, including the Memorial Drive Shooter in Cambridge. #2. Healey has allowed skyrocketing electricity costs driven by a slew of surcharges and extra “fees” that do nothing to improve society or the environment. #3. Healey has failed to support the state audit, reportedly refusing to speak with the State Auditor for over 18 months and backing efforts to weaken it. #4. Under Healey, Massachusetts has plummeted in national rankings since 2019: Tax Competitiveness fell from 30th–36th to 43rd (bottom 8), with property taxes now ranked 48th. Cost of Doing Business dropped from 14th to 49th (second-worst in the nation). Electricity rates remain among the top 3 highest in the country, nearly double the national average. Business formation and establishment growth collapsed to the 9th-lowest in the nation. #5. Healey has refused to address widespread fraud in SNAP, MassDOT, and Medicare, and reportedly declined to cooperate with the U.S. Attorney’s office. #6. Under Healey, unrestricted local aid has fallen to its lowest share of the state budget in 20 years, forcing cities and towns to cut police, fire, and other services. All while increasing the state budget by $10 billion under Healey. #7. Healey said she would endorse Maine Nazi Tattoo enthusiast Graham Platner. That didn't age well. #8. Healey said nothing when Mayor Wu proposed budget cuts to veterans and firefighters while raising her own salary and adding patronage hires. #9. 25% of Boston office space is now vacant (up from 5% in 2019), yet Healey has offered no meaningful tax relief to retain or attract businesses. This while large company jobs losses hit 7,300 for FY 2026 #10. After three and a half years in office, over 50% of Massachusetts voters cannot name a single Healey accomplishment. #11. Housing affordability and the overall cost of living have deteriorated sharply, with 56% of residents considering leaving the state. #12. Healey has known of the sewer bypass problems in Haverhill spilling into the Merrimac River since 2016. We need a Governor who will make safety a priority. #13. Healey’s questionable hiring practices include “hair puller” Phil Eng, who awarded no-bid contracts to friends, and cocaine shipping enthusiast Lamar Cook. The sad thing is, these examples are from the past six months alone! ### References: #1. [link removed] #2. [link removed] #3 [link removed] #4 Each Topic 1. Tax Competitiveness Rank: 43rd overall (bottom 8) on the 2026 State Tax Competitiveness Index. Particularly poor in property taxes (48th) and individual income taxes (42nd). Source: Tax Foundation, 2026 State Tax Competitiveness Index (released late 2025). URL: [link removed] 2. Cost of Doing Business Rank: 49th (2nd-worst) in CNBC’s 2025 Top States for Business rankings. Driven by high wages, utilities, real estate, and overall expenses. Source: CNBC, “Top States for Business 2025” (July 2025). URL: [link removed] 3. Electricity Rates / Energy Costs Consistently ranks 3rd-highest residential electricity rates in the U.S. (often ~30–31¢/kWh, nearly double the national average). Sources: ElectricChoice.com (May 2026 data): [link removed] Third Way (Feb 2026): [link removed] ChooseEnergy (2026): [link removed] 4. Housing Affordability One of the least affordable states; price-to-income ratio ~6.3 (among the worst). Frequently ranks in the bottom 10 for overall cost of living and housing burden. Sources: Coastal Moving Services (2026 housing affordability rankings): [link removed] WBUR/MassINC Poll (May 2026): [link removed] 5. Overall Cost of Living / Affordability Ranks among the 7 least affordable states in public perception surveys. High costs in housing, utilities, and daily expenses place it near the bottom. Source: Boston 25 News / survey data (March 2026). URL: (See related WBUR/MassINC Poll above for supporting affordability data) 6. Business Formation / Establishment Growth Ranked 9th-lowest in total establishment growth (2020–2025). Lowest net business formation rate in earlier periods extending into 2025 data. Source: Pioneer Institute analysis (April 2026). URL: [link removed] 7. Property Tax Burden Ranks 5th-highest in lifetime property tax burden for homeowners. Average single-family tax bill over $8,000 annually in 2026. Sources: WWLP / CPA study (May 2026): [link removed] Tax Foundation (cross-reference): [link removed] #5. [link removed] #6. [link removed] [link removed] #7. [link removed] #8. [link removed] #9. [link removed] [link removed] #10 [link removed] #11 [link removed] #12 [link removed] #13 Three articles No-bid contract to friend: [link removed] Hair-pulling incident coverage (example): WCVB reporting (Eng addressed it publicly) — search for recent "Phil Eng hair" on WCVB [link removed] [link removed]   MassGOP | Visit our website   Massachusetts Republican Party | 85 Merrimac Street, Suite 505 | Boston, MA 02114 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Our Privacy Policy | Constant Contact Data Notice