I’m surprised she’s expected to win the rat primary so easily.
I’d be interested to see if the GOP can be competitive in the open races for AG and Treasurer.
1966 was the last time the GOP won the Attorney General’s office in MA, with Elliot Richardson. Curiously, despite the high-profile nature of the office, it has been generally a political dead-end for its holders. Excluding Richardson, who received federal appointments, the last time anyone went higher in office was his predecessor Ed Brooke (who went straight to the Senate). Richardson failed to get the 1984 nomination for Senator.
Before Brooke, no Attorney General since Democrat Paul Dever (1935-41) went to the Governorship. Dever didn’t do that directly, either. When he ran in 1940, he was defeated by Brooke’s Senate predecessor, Leverett Saltonstall. Not until 1948 did he upset left-wing RINO Governor Robert Bradford.
Before Dever, you’d have to go back to the 1850s (!) Whig John H. Clifford went to the Governorship for a single-year term after 4 years as AG. After his term ended (he didn’t run for another term), the incoming Governor re-appointed him back as AG.
As for the Treasurer’s office, the GOP did hold that throughout the ‘90s with Joe Malone (who then ran against Cellucci in the ‘98 primary for Governor and lost). Before that, not since Conservative Laurence Curtis won in the 1946 GOP landslide (for a 2-year term) did the GOP last win it.
Just as an odd note, excluding Curtis’s 2-year term, from 1931-1952, 4 men all named Hurley occupied Treasury. Charles, Francis & John were Democrats, William a Republican. Charles succeeded Curley (Curley to Hurley) as Governor for a single term from 1937-39 (then losing to Saltonstall). Democrat John F. Kennedy (Francis, not Fitzgerald) held the office from 1955-61, losing the nomination for Governor in 1960. Two John Kennedys ran to succeed John Francis for Treasurer, but both lost the primary. And you thought the Alaska Sullivans were confusing...