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Massachusetts could be first state with simultaneous female governor and lieutenant governor

Women are likely to win five of the six statewide executive positions in Massachusetts after last night's primaries.

Why it matters: Massachusetts is poised to become the first state with a female governor and lieutenant governor serving simultaneously.


What we're watching: Attorney General Maura Healey (D) won the Democratic nomination for governor. If successful in November, she'll be the the first female elected governor of Massachusetts.

  • Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll (D) won the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, while former state Rep. Leah Cole Allen won the Republican nomination.
  • Former Boston City Councilwoman Andrea Campbell (D) won the Democratic nomination in the open-seat contest for attorney general.
  • Massachusetts State Senator Diana DiZoglio (D) won the Democratic nomination for state auditor.
  • Deb Goldberg, the state treasurer, is running unopposed for reelection.
  • Rayla Campbell (R) was unopposed for the Republican nomination the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent Secretary of State William Francis Galvin (D).

The intrigue: Voters in three other states — Republicans in Arkansas and Democrats in Oklahoma and Ohio — nominated women for governor and lieutenant this year, according to Rutgers University’s Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP).

  • Women currently hold three of the four statewide executive positions in Michigan.

Flashback: Michelle Wu was elected as Boston's first woman mayor last year and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) became the first woman from Massachusetts to serve in the U.S. Senate when she was elected in 2012.

What they're saying: “While this is not entirely new, it’s definitely notable. Not only are they a high percentage of nominees but they are also in contests where they are favored to win. It’s a point of progress," CAWP director of research Kelly Dittmar told Axios.

  • "Massachusetts is breaking a lot of barriers and it's great to see," Christina Reynolds, VP of communications at Emily's List, told Axios.
  • "I think it will provide a great example for women considering running and also for voters to remind them that women are absolutely great leaders."
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