First Republican announces run for Massachusetts governor

Former Massachusetts state Rep. Geoff Diehl (R) announced his bid for governor on Sunday, becoming the first Republican candidate to enter the race.

“Geoff knows this state from both the public and private sector, and wants to bring all of his experience to work for the people of Massachusetts,” Diehl’s campaign website reads.

Diehl served in the Massachusetts state House from 2011 through 2019. He launched a bid for the U.S. Senate in 2018, but ultimately fell short to incumbent Elizabeth Warren (D) in the general election, CBS Boston reported.

Diehl, who served as co-chair for former President Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign in Massachusetts, will possibly face off against incumbent Republican Gov. Charlie Baker should he decide to run for a third term. Baker hasn’t yet announced his plans.

If he does run for re-election, the primary race would serve as a test of Trump’s influence in the state.

Republican voters would be tasked with choosing between Diehl, a Trump supporter, and Baker, who frequently took on the former president following the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

Baker, following the Jan. 6 attack, called on Trump to step down and urged then-Vice President Pence to assume the powers of the office.

After Pence signaled that he would not pursue the 25th Amendment to remove Trump as president Baker turned to impeachment, calling that avenue “the only one that’s left.”

The declaration was met with calls from state Republicans to censure the governor.

Diehl urged on Baker to “retract his stance.”

Diehl on his website describes himself as a politician whose “hard work on behalf of Massachusetts taxpayers has saved residents across the state from having to pay billions of dollars in new taxes.”

He specifically calls for passing a budget that “eliminates the reckless spending” that has ensued in Boston and Washington, supporting small businesses and rejecting the Transportation & Climate Initiative (TCI), among other initiatives.

Massachusetts state Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz (D) announced her candidacy for governor last month, in a video that touted her record on key issues including criminal justice and educational reform.

She said she will push back against “Beacon Hill insiders.”