GOP Mass. governor hopeful Brian Shortsleeve touts ‘record' $416K fundraising haul
Brian Shortsleeve, who helmed the MBTA under former Gov. Charlie Baker, said his campaign had raised $416,027 in its first 20 days, outpacing both his old boss and his so-far only competition for the nomination.
'I'm deeply grateful that so many Bay Staters have stepped up to support my campaign to bring affordability and fiscal sanity back to Massachusetts,' Shortsleeve, who entered the race last month, said in a statement.
The other Republican in the race, Mike Kennealy, who served as Baker's housing and economic development czar, said he'd raised more than $130,000 in the first three weeks of his campaign.
That haul prompted a challenge from the state Democratic Party, which complained to state regulators that Kennealy apparently had collected thousands of dollars in donations above the allowable limit.
Shortsleeve said his campaign broke the $139,502 record for non-incumbents that Baker set during his first 30 days as a candidate in 2009, when the individual donation limit was $500 instead of the current $1,000.
It also exceeds the $405,511 that incumbent Democratic Gov. Maura Healey raised in March 2025, Shortsleeve's campaign said. Healey announced earlier this year that she's seeking a second term.
Kennealy's campaign attributed the overages to donors who'd covered credit card processing fees and couples who contributed to the Republican hopeful as a single transaction, MassLive previously reported.
A spokesperson told MassLive that the campaign was 'actively' refunding excess donations. And the campaign was in 'full communication' with regulators to ensure compliance.
State data show Kennealy with $256,715 in his campaign account as of Monday.
Healey had $2.9 million in her campaign account as of Monday, data show.
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