The Associated Press was cast as an irresponsible party-pooper at the campaign watch party for GOP gubernatorial candidate Geoff Diehl Tuesday night, after calling the race for Democrat Maura Healey just minutes after the polls closed.
It’s a tricky thing, throwing a party in the midst of disappointing news. But that’s exactly what several hundred of Diehl's supporters did — or attempted to do — Tuesday evening at the Boston Harbor Hotel.
The crowd of campaign members, GOP associates and scattered supporters filled in quickly and promptly at 7 p.m. But the crowd's jovial mood, with its stars-and-stripes suit coats and Goeff Diehl stovepipe hats, deflated quickly after the AP's projection came in.
Or, more specifically, after Diehl campaign officials voiced their frustrations about the call.
Former congressional candidate Rick Green, who was emceeing the event, called it “the worst call in election history since Arizona 2020,” referring to Fox News’ early assessment that Joe Biden won the state over then-President Trump.
“It’s irresponsible and it’s also extremely premature,” Diehl’s campaign manager Amanda Orlando said minutes later. Jeers followed her statement. The frustration was palpable.
“The problem is they have always done their best to do a projection as soon as they can so that they can give the appearance, whether or not it’s true,” said supporter Henry M. Morse, a Rabbi based out of Stoughton.
“I’m not willing to concede until all the votes are counted,” Morse added.
“You’ve gotta keep the faith,” Salem resident Mike Warren told GBH News. “This could flip like that … I bet you the AP wouldn't like that, right?”
Asked about the AP’s call, GOP candidate for Attorney General Jay McMahon said bluntly and in a thick Boston accent: “that sucks.”
He added, “I think it’s wrong, they should never have done that,” before taking to the stage to make similar comments to the crowd.
The reactions were reminiscent of GOP voters in the days after the 2020 election. In this instance, though, Massachusetts Republicans voiced a common respect for the elections in the Commonwealth. And that made a difference.
“I trust the results, yeah,” said supporter Bonnie Screvano. “I won’t like the result but I will trust the result, sure. If you lose faith, you lose everything. It’s crazy.”
One person whose voice was absent for much of the night was Diehl himself. He didn’t show up at the party until close to 11 p.m., as the venue was set to close for the night.
He didn’t mention the AP in his concession speech, which was preceded by shouts of “don’t concede!” and “every vote counts!” from the crowd.
“I understand every vote counts,” Deihl replied. “It will be counted. I know the state will count those votes. But right now, with the gap that we have, it is impossible to close.”
He ended his speech by thanking his family and team of campaigners, and urging the crowd to give Governor-elect Healey “the same opportunity for success that I would have asked were the shoe on the other foot.”
The crowd emptied out as quickly as they came. Not all were totally defeated, however. The woman in a Geoff Diehl stovepipe hat, fashioned out of a campaign yard sign, said simply to GBH news: “my spirit’s good.”
