Mike Kennealy, a Republican working for governor, raised essentially the most money in August amongst gubernatorial candidates within the 2026 race however struggled to usher in donations from particular person contributors in comparison with his rivals, in line with state data.
The competition to find out the subsequent governor of Massachusetts continues to be in its early levels, with greater than a 12 months earlier than voters head to the polls. However Kennealy, a former cupboard secretary underneath Gov. Charlie Baker, has largely relied on self-funding to kickstart his bid for governor.
Logan Trupiano, a spokesperson for Kennealy, stated Kennealy is nearing $1.5 million in complete contributions.
“And thanks to Mike’s personal investment, we’ve built a purpose-driven campaign with the best team possible to compete and win against Maura Healey in 2026,” Trupiano stated in a press release to the Herald.
Kennealy introduced in $226,896 in August, together with $200,000 from a mortgage he gave his marketing campaign and $26,896 from particular person contributors, in line with state information. That’s his lowest month for particular person contributions since launching his marketing campaign in April, data present.
He raised over $111,000 from particular person contributors in April, greater than $91,000 in Might, over $101,000 in June, and greater than $54,000 in July, in line with an evaluation of state information.
Brian Shortsleeve, one other Republican working for governor, raised greater than Kennealy from particular person donors in Might, June, and July, state data present.
Within the month of August, Shortsleeve, a enterprise capitalist and former MBTA official underneath Baker, raised $119,141 and spent one other $79,736, in line with information from the Workplace of Marketing campaign and Political Finance.
Shortsleeve stated Kennealy “was forced to prop up his campaign with an illegal personal loan to mask his lack of grassroots support.”
Trupiano shot again at Shortsleeve.
“While Brian has spent his time inflating his fundraising numbers to mislead supporters by more than $100,000, the Kennealy campaign has consistently outperformed the Shortsleeve campaign financially every single month,” Trupaino stated, referring to accusations that Shortsleeve “double-counted” marketing campaign money in public statements.
Kennealy had a large lump of money, greater than $917,000, readily available on the finish of August, which his marketing campaign stated established him “as the clear financial frontrunner in the Republican primary.”
The $200,000 mortgage Kennealy gave his marketing campaign final month is identical quantity he has forked over each month since coming into the race, and stretches him additional over the authorized restrict for what candidates are allowed to mortgage their campaigns underneath state regulation.
The Lexington Republican obtained 17 top-dollar donations of $1,000 in August from an govt at Plymouth Rock Assurance, the proprietor of Lexington Toyota, an educator at Harvard Business College, and two individuals from the Boston monetary companies agency Brown Brothers Harriman, amongst others.
Kennealy and Shortsleeve, two males who’ve labored in personal fairness and enterprise capital, have often tapped their massive networks of enterprise connections for money within the early months of the 2026 election, state information has proven.
Kennealy spent one other $116,594 in August, together with greater than $20,000 on political consultants working at Battlefield LLC and $14,500 with Opinion Diagnostics, a polling firm run by Brian Wynne, a former marketing campaign supervisor for Baker.
Gov. Maura Healey, who stated earlier this 12 months that she plans to run for reelection, raised $157,404 and spent one other $80,897 in August, in line with state information.
The primary-term Democrat obtained a string of top-dollar donations from professors, attorneys, traders, enterprise executives, hospital executives, and consultants, marketing campaign finance data present.
The Healey marketing campaign loaded greater than $25,000 onto an Amex bank card, together with greater than $4,000 for a State Home summer season outing at Democracy Brewing and practically $10,000 at Davio’s, The Lenox Resort, and Merely Scrumptious Catering for fundraiser catering companies, information confirmed.
Healey additionally spent $521 in July on the five-star Claremont Membership and Spa in Berkeley, California, for lodging whereas fundraising within the state.
Different high expenditures for the governor final month included $8,610 spent with Beacon Analysis, a political analysis agency based mostly in Boston, for a “survey” and greater than $10,000 on political consultants at SKG Methods and CTP Boston, data present.
A spokesperson for Healey’s marketing campaign didn’t instantly reply to a Herald inquiry Monday.
Amongst Shortsleeve’s high greenback donations, he obtained $1,000 from people working in personal fairness, enterprise executives, bankers, the president of Massachusetts-based Consigli Development Firm, and attorneys, amongst others, state data present.
Shortsleeve’s high bills final month included greater than $14,000 spent with Crimson Beacon Methods for direct mailers and postage; $12,500 with Jim Barnett, a political advisor who as soon as served because the chair of the Vermont Republican Get together; and $12,000 with Delaware-based Ace Marketing campaign Consulting for “fundraising consulting,” in line with state information.
Shortsleeve stated he’s grateful for “hundreds of supporters who continue to invest in our mission to turn Massachusetts around.”
“Our message of cutting taxes and fees, reining in reckless spending, ending the migrant crisis and putting Massachusetts citizens first is resonating across the Commonwealth. Month after month, our campaign proves it has the enthusiasm, the energy, and the resources to defeat Maura Healey,” he stated in a press release Monday.
Libby O’Neill/Boston Herald
Brian Shortsleeve, a GOP candidate for governor. (Libby O’Neill/Boston Herald)
