DGA Response to Chris Doughty Entering MA GOP Primary Against Trump-backed Geoff Diehl

Amid a chaotic few months of Massachusetts Republicans’ infighting, Chris Doughty is entering the MA GOP primary for governor against Trump-backed candidate Geoff Diehl.

It was only a few months ago that Trump’s endorsement for Diehl forced Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov Karyn Polito to step aside from the race. However, Doughty’s announcement did nothing to clarify why his candidacy wouldn’t suffer the same fate as Baker and Polito, while he also completely ignored the top issue for GOP primary voters in Massachusetts: die-loyalty to Trump.

In fact, before Baker jumped ship, polling showed that he was getting crushed by over 20 points in a primary against Diehl, who was also encouraged to take out Baker from MA GOP’s chair Jim Lyons. And once Baker dropped out, multiple non-partisan analysts moved the race from Likely Republican to Likely Democratic.

Baker’s exit also led National Journal to note that any Republican primary “will inherently center on loyalty to Trump.”

“With the charisma of a loaf of Wonder Bread, Chris Doughty’s announcement will not undo the damage that Baker’s exit from the race has done to Republican chances at keeping the governor’s office,” DGA Deputy Communications Director Sam Newton said. “While Trump and the Republican state party are lining up behind diehard Trump-fanatic Geoff Diehl, Doughty has stayed silent on Trump’s toxic agenda that will define this GOP primary, including if he backs Trump’s 2020 election conspiracy theories and if he believes Trump is responsible for the violence on Jan 6th. While Democrats remain focused on making life better for families, Massachusetts Republicans are now stuck with a nasty and divisive primary about who can be the most loyal to Trump.”