2006 Massachusetts gubernatorial election

2006 Massachusetts gubernatorial election

← 2002 November 7, 2006 2010 →
Turnout56.23% Increase 0.94 [1]
 
Nominee Deval Patrick Kerry Healey Christy Mihos
Party Democratic Republican Independent
Running mate Tim Murray Reed V. Hillman John J. Sullivan
Popular vote 1,234,984 784,342 154,628
Percentage 55.03% 34.95% 6.89%

Patrick:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Healey:      40–50%      50–60%
Tie:      40–50%

Governor before election

Mitt Romney
Republican

Elected Governor

Deval Patrick
Democratic

The 2006 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 2006. The incumbent Republican governor, Mitt Romney, chose not to seek a second term. Polls had been mixed prior to Romney's announcement, with one poll showing Romney slightly leading Democrat Attorney General Tom Reilly and other polls showing Reilly, who was then the Democratic frontrunner, in the lead.[2]

The election was won by the Democratic former United States Assistant Attorney General Deval Patrick, who became the second African-American governor in the United States since Reconstruction and the first Democratic governor of Massachusetts since Michael Dukakis left office in 1991. This was the last time until 2022 that the Democratic nominee won a majority. Healey is the only Republican gubernatorial nominee never to be elected governor between 1990 and 2018.

  1. ^ "Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 2006".
  2. ^ Polls show Romney gaining on Reilly, Reilly leading Healey Boston Globe November 17, 2005