Super PACs Target Independent Andrea James in Final Massachusetts Gubernatorial Push

Super PAC Spending Surges in Final Days of Massachusetts Governor’s Race

As the Massachusetts gubernatorial race enters its final stretch, outside spending is accelerating. Financial supporters of the Republican candidate Mike Minogue have altered their strategy near the end of the race, shifting their attacks toward independent candidate Andrea James and sparking questions about whether the tactic aims to draw progressive supporters away from Democratic Gov. Maura Healey.

The spending war spans both sides of the political aisle. Minogue has pointed publicly to a Healey-affiliated super PAC that has poured heavy funds into the race leading up to Election Day. “We know it’s a tight race, so does the opposition. They know,” Minogue told reporters in Boston on Wednesday. “The national Democrat Governors Association is now spending thirty to sixty thousand dollars a day on social media to prop her up and attack me. They know it’s close.”

Outside Money and Campaign Tactics

State law limits individual contributions to a candidate’s official campaign committee to $1,000 per year, but super PACs can accept individual contributions without those specific fundraising restrictions. These independent expenditure groups are legally permitted to coordinate with the campaigns, and the candidates themselves are not behind these ads.

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Since late June, the Commonwealth for Tomorrow Independent Expenditure PAC—a super PAC backing Healey and affiliated with the Democratic Governors Association—has dedicated $585,000 to campaigns meant to counter Minogue. Google ad data shows Healey-aligned spending ramping up in October, including a $250,000 digital media buy for videos referencing “MAGA mega-donor Mike Minogue.”

Meanwhile, the Minogue-aligned Massachusetts First Independent Expenditure PAC has spent $1.3 million since late June. The group ratcheted up its spending after the September primary, recently targeting James through mailers and digital ads that label her as a socialist and liken her to Zohran Mamdani. “Governor Healey is a do-nothing liberal. Her opponent, Andrea James, is a do-everything socialist. James is the Massachusetts Mamdani,” says a video ad paid for by the PAC.

Super PACs Target Independent Andrea James in Final Massachusetts Gubernatorial Push

“One of the interesting ties in the ad is about linking her to Zohran Mamdani. National polls have shown that Mamdani is actually very popular with Democrats writ large. Our poll, in particular, shows that he is viewed quite favorably by people in Massachusetts,” said John Cluverius, a political science professor at UMass Lowell.

Cluverius noted that the UMass Lowell poll released Wednesday night backs up swirling speculation that the sudden focus on James is designed to split the Democratic vote. Asked whether that was the intention behind the mailers and digital ads, PAC chairman and largest donor Robert Neuner defended the strategy to the State House News Service.

“It’s not splitting the vote,” Neuner said. “It’s just that people need to make informed decisions at the ballot, and I think this makes a better distinction that Mike’s the best candidate. It’s not — there’s no hidden agenda here.”

Polling Reality and Voter Alignment

James is running to Healey’s left as an independent with a much smaller war chest and limited campaign footprint. The latest UMass Lowell poll has James capturing 4% of the vote, compared to Minogue at 29% and Healey at 57%.

Cluverius pointed to Healey’s overall job approval rating sitting at 60%, though roughly 13% of voters who cast ballots for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris disapprove of Healey’s performance. Breaking down gubernatorial support by past presidential votes, 87% of Harris voters plan to support Healey, 5% back Minogue, and 3% support James.

“So James’s support comes from people who voted for other candidates or didn’t vote in 2024,” Cluverius said. “I would say too, on a whole, I would not expect reliable Democratic voters to really peel away for James.”

Financial Backers Behind Massachusetts First PAC

Robert Neuner, chairman of the Massachusetts First Independent Expenditure PAC, grew up with Minogue in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, and founded Boost Oxygen before relocating to Darien, Connecticut. He has contributed $500,000 to the PAC since September and $1 million overall since last year.

Other post-primary contributors include Arthur S. Demoulas—previously heading Market Basket and currently associated with Ten Mountain Capital—who provided $100,000, alongside former Reebok CEO Paul Fireman, who contributed $50,000. Additionally, real estate executive Matthew Daniels of JLL and his wife, Jennifer, donated $100,000.

As election day nears, the open question remains whether these targeted ad blitzes will alter voter calculus, or if the substantial polling leads held by the incumbent governor will withstand the final wave of outside spending.