Gov. Maura Healey won a second four-year term on Tuesday, Nov. 3, defeating Republican Michael Minogue, the Associated Press reported. The AP declared Healey the winner at 8:01 p.m. EST, one minute after polls closed across Massachusetts.

Milton and Canton voters cast ballots at their usual polling locations, which were open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to the town of Milton's election page. Milton residents voted at 10 precinct locations, including Tucker School, Milton Senior Center and Copeland Field House at Milton High School. Canton voters went to polls at Canton High School, Canton Senior Center, Blue Hills Regional School and 1860 Washington St., according to the Canton Town Clerk's office.

Healey, a Democrat, will serve alongside Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll. She previously served two terms as attorney general before winning the governor's office in 2022, WBUR reported.

With about a third of votes counted as of 10:52 p.m., unofficial AP results showed Healey with more than 64 percent of the vote to Minogue's 32 percent, boston.com reported, citing AP data. Independent candidate Andrea James received about 3 percent. Those numbers will change as more ballots are counted.

Minogue, a former medical device company CEO from Hamilton, put $19.5 million of his own money into his campaign, a record for a statewide candidate in Massachusetts, WBUR reported.

What the candidates said

Healey told supporters she has an obligation "to get up every day and to drive change with urgency and action," WBUR reported.

"I'm gonna work my hardest every single day for the things that matter in your lives," she said, according to WBUR.

Minogue congratulated Healey at his own event. "An election determines who holds the office. It does not determine what we believe in, what we stand for, and how much we care about the commonwealth," he said, according to WBUR.

Affordability and Trump shaped the race

The cost of living and the candidates' relationships with President Donald Trump dominated the contest. Healey campaigned on her first-term record on housing and energy costs while criticizing Trump's tariffs and other federal policies. Minogue argued Massachusetts needs an outsider to address spending and affordability, GBH News reported.

Energy bills are a pressing issue for Milton and Canton households. Eversource CEO Joe Nolan told an industry conference on Sept. 30 that he expected Healey to soften her criticism of utilities after the election, CommonWealth Beacon reported. Healey campaign spokesperson Kerry Lyons said in a statement that Healey "has spent her career standing up for ratepayers and standing up to the utilities," according to CommonWealth Beacon.

Healey and her allies linked Minogue to Trump throughout the campaign. Minogue donated about $1 million to Trump and other Republicans, the Boston Globe reported. Trump did not publicly endorse Minogue, the Globe reported. In the closing stretch, Minogue referred to himself as a registered independent for 19 years rather than the Republican nominee, the Globe reported.

Running mate's arrest added late drama

Minogue's running mate, New Bedford City Councilor Shawn Oliver, suspended his campaign Oct. 18 after police arrested him following a crash involving five parked vehicles. He pleaded not guilty to operating under the influence and other charges.

Oliver's name stayed on the ballot because the deadline to remove a candidate had passed weeks earlier. "He will not be my lieutenant governor. Period," Minogue told reporters, the Globe reported Oct. 20.

What comes next

Healey faces high costs and surging energy bills in her second term, the Globe reported. She will also manage the state's response to the Trump administration for the president's final two years in office.

Certified results will be available through the secretary of state's Massachusetts Election Statistics database.