Update, November 3, 2026.
Update, November 3, 2026, 10:30 p.m. Mike Minogue conceded shortly before 10 p.m. at a hotel ballroom in Burlington and said he had called Healey to congratulate her, the Boston Globe reported. Some supporters booed when he mentioned the call. “We have fought the good fight,” he said, adding that “the voters have spoken.” He did not say whether he would run for office again, according to the Globe. In her victory speech in Boston, Healey said she spoke with Minogue and “wished him well,” and promised, “I’m going to work my hardest every day,” the Globe reported. The concession does not change the legal steps: the result becomes official only after local counts are complete and the statewide results are certified. How certification and recounts work.
Gov. Maura Healey has won a second term, defeating Republican Mike Minogue, according to projections by the Associated Press, as reported by WCVB, and by NBC News. Independent Andrea James was also on the ballot. Early counts were a small fraction of the expected vote when the race was called shortly after polls closed at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, so margins will change as more cities and towns report.
Here is what happens between now and the start of her second term, and how long that term lasts. We read the dates in the Massachusetts Constitution at malegislature.gov.
When the new term starts and ends
The governor’s term is set by Article LXIV of the Amendments, as rewritten by Article LXXXII, which made the governor’s term four years beginning with the 1966 election. It says the terms of the governor and lieutenant governor “shall begin at noon on the Thursday next following the first Wednesday in January succeeding their election and shall end at noon on the Thursday next following the first Wednesday in January in the fifth year following their election.”
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| First Wednesday in January 2027 | January 6, 2027 |
| Second term begins | Noon, Thursday, January 7, 2027 |
| Second term ends | Noon, Thursday, January 2, 2031 |
Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll ran with Healey and serves the same term. The other statewide constitutional officers, the attorney general, secretary of the Commonwealth, treasurer and auditor, start their terms two weeks later, on the third Wednesday in January, which in 2027 is January 20, under the same article.
Before January: the count and certification
Tonight’s call is a projection, not an official result. Cities and towns finish counting, including mail ballots postmarked by Election Day that arrive by 5 p.m. Friday, November 6. The governor and Governor’s Council then certify the statewide results. Our guide to the counting, certification and recount timeline.
The race in brief
- Affordability. Both candidates proposed versions of a plan to suspend the state’s 24 cent per gallon gas tax, WCVB reported. Healey’s version was stripped from a supplemental spending bill.
- Immigration. Minogue said state authorities should coordinate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Healey signed the PROTECT Act limiting the agency’s access in Massachusetts, according to WCVB.
- The running mate. Minogue’s running mate, Shawn Oliver, suspended his campaign on October 18 after an OUI arrest, but his name stayed on the ballot. He has pleaded not guilty and is presumed innocent. Why his name could not come off the ballot.
Our full guide to the governor’s race: the polls, the positions and the money.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the Massachusetts governor’s race in 2026?
Gov. Maura Healey, a Democrat, won a second term over Republican Mike Minogue, according to projections by the Associated Press and NBC News on November 3, 2026.
When is Healey’s second inauguration?
Her second term begins at noon on Thursday, January 7, 2027, the Thursday after the first Wednesday in January, as the Massachusetts Constitution requires.
How long is a Massachusetts governor’s term?
Four years. Healey’s second term ends at noon on January 2, 2031.
Are the results official?
Not yet. The call is a projection. Results become official after local counts are complete and the governor and Governor’s Council certify them.
Sources: WCVB (Associated Press projection and campaign issues) and NBC10 Boston (NBC News Decision Desk projection), November 3, 2026. Massachusetts Constitution, Amendments Article LXIV as adopted by Article LXXXII, read at malegislature.gov. General information, not legal advice.