Shortsleeve ‘has no statistical or financial pathway’ to victory

The two Massachusetts Republican National Committee members are calling on gubernatorial candidate Brian Shortsleeve to drop out of the GOP primary in order for the party to “unite” behind fellow GOP candidate Mike Minogue.

Minogue won the MassGOP endorsement in a landslide by gaining 70.4% of votes from delegates at the state Republican Convention.

“Through caucuses, straw polls, and the results on the convention floor, Mike Minogue has commanded the field and demonstrated what we all know to be true: he is the strongest candidate our party can put forward to the voters in November,” Massachusetts Committeewoman Janet Fogarty and Committeeman Brad Wyatt said in a joint statement.

“Pragmatically speaking, Brian Shortsleeve has no statistical or financial pathway to a primary victory,” they continued. “Pursuing the primary further would only jeopardize the likelihood of defeating Maura Healey in November.”

Fogarty and Wyatt also slammed Shortsleeve and his campaign for labeling Republican delegates “political insiders” after making the ballot with just over 15% of votes, the threshold for ballot access. Former candidate Mike Kennealy fell just shy with a little over 14% of the vote.

“Fewer than 1800 political insiders representing just over one half of one percent of expected primary voters don’t pick the nominee. Voters do. Insiders want to clear the field so Mike Minogue doesn’t have to answer tough questions,” the Shortsleeve campaign wrote in a May 4 post to X. The post shared a newspaper editorial calling for a contested Republican primary.

“Not happening. We need a real campaign, real debates, and a candidate who can win 300,000 primary voters, not just a room full of delegates,” the campaign said.

Fogarty and Wyatt say Shortsleeve’s future in the Republican Party is strong, but that he needs to step down in order for Republicans to unite behind a plan to defeat Gov. Maura Healey in the general election.

Shortlseeve lays out plan to drive down costs for Massachusetts drivers

Remaining in the race, Shortsleeve has presented voters with a comprehensive plan to reduce the cost of owning and operating a vehicle in Massachusetts.

Unveiling the proposal in a recent appearance on the Howie Carr Show, Shortsleeve broke down his plan into eight core reforms: Suspending the state’s gas tax, eliminating annual car inspections, extending vehicle registrations to five-years, promising to block any proposed mileage tax, raising the speed limit on most state highways to 70 miles per hour, opposing tolls on Cape Cod’s bridges, rejecting congestion pricing, and blocking any increases to the auto excise tax.

“Whether it’s commuting to work, taking kids to school, or running a small business, transportation is essential. It should not be treated like an ATM for Beacon Hill. We need a system that respects that reality instead of punishing it,” Shortsleeve said.

“It’s time to end our state’s reputation as Taxachusetts. While Maura Healey wants to tax people out of their cars, I want them to have the freedom of mobility. If we want people to stay here, raise families here, and build businesses here.”

Shortsleeve says Massachusetts families are being squeezed financially by rising fees, taxes, and transportation mandates. He says his plan addresses both immediate cost pressures and long-term structural burdens facing Massachusetts drivers.

Shortsleeve served as the Chief Administrator and Acting General Manager of the MBTA under former Gov. Charlie Baker.