First Openly Lesbian Governor Elected in Massachusetts

Democrat Maura Healey is the projected winner of the gubernatorial race in Massachusetts and the first out lesbian to be elected governor. She is also the first female governor elected in the state, beating out republican opponent and former 2016 Trump campaign chairman, Geoff Diehl by over 69,000 votes.

Addressing her supporters at a victory rally in Boston on Tuesday evening, Healey dedicated her win to “every little girl and every young LGBTQ person out there.”

“I hope tonight shows you that you can be whatever, whoever you want to be,” she said to a roaring crowd. “And nothing and no one can ever get in your way except your own imagination, and that’s not going to happen.”

Healey will follow two other openly LGBTQ governors, the first being Kate Brown (D-OR) who, as an openly bisexual woman became the first LGBTQ+ person to be elected governor in 2015. Colorado’s Jared Polis became the first openly gay man to be elected governor in 2018, though former New Jersey governor Jim McGreevey came out in his resignation speech after serving as governor from 2001-2004.

One other LGBTQ Democrat, out lesbian Tina Kotek, could join Healey in her history-making feat. Kotek is in a competitive three-way gubernatorial race in Oregon.

In 2009, Healey led the country’s first successful challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act, and in 2014, she broke barriers again, becoming the country’s first out lesbian to be elected state attorney general.

As the state’s Attorney General, Healey joined or initiated dozens of lawsuits against the Trump administration, from challenging his Muslim travel ban to protecting immigrant rights to suing the EPA for delaying or rolling back environmental regulations.

Before her time in the legal and political worlds, Healey was captain of the Harvard women’s basketball team, from 1988-1992. With Healey playing point guard, Harvard won the Ivy League championship in the 1990-91 season, and she was picked as co-captain in 1991-92.

The team’s Twitter account celebrated Healey’s election by tweeting: “Congratulations to Harvard women’s basketball alum, Maura Healy ‘92, on your historic win for Governor of Massachusetts! #GoCrimson x #BelieveIt”

Photo courtesy of Facebook.