Maura Healey marked the midpoint of her governorship Thursday with her third big speech taking stock of where Massachusetts stands right now. The speech, which ran to eight densely printed pages as prepared for delivery, was bullish on Massachusetts’ present and future despite some lingering challenges (e.g., the obstinately high cost of housing) that Healey made clear she’s working to address. Of course, that same description applies to most state-of-the-state and state-of-the-city speeches delivered by politicians across the country. So we looked back at what Healey had to say last year, listened extra attentively to this year’s message, and found a few things that stood out as distinct from the standard-issue script. Quotations reflect remarks as prepared for delivery and may not always capture embellishments or deviations.
1. Healey really doesn’t want to talk about Trump.
As Massachusetts attorney general, Healey sued the first Trump Administration nearly 100 times and enjoyed a high rate of success. But now, as a second Trump term looms, Healey seems loathe to say anything that could be construed as picking a fight with the once and future Republican president. She didn’t actually utter Trump’s name once in her remarks Thursday, though she did say this: “In four days, there will be a transition of power in Washington. I assure you we will take every opportunity to work with the federal government in any way that benefits Massachusetts. And I also promise you we will not change who we are.”
Who we are, Healey had said moments earlier, is the state that started the American Revolution and continues to make the world “a better, freer place” — context that makes Healey’s comments about Trump 2.0 seem just a tad punchier than they might have at first listen. But will that be enough to satisfy local Democrats (and independents) bracing anxiously for Trump’s return to power? Furthermore, will Healey change her tune if, for example, Trump proceeds with mass deportations as promised once taking office? Healey’s stance vis a vis Trump, rhetorically and in terms of policy, is going to be one of the most interesting and consequential subplots to watch during the second half of her first term in office.
2. The migrant crisis has become a thorn in Healey’s side.
In her 2024 State of the Commonwealth, Healey said (according to prepared remarks): “I’m proud of the way Massachusetts stepped up with compassion — and solutions — for the influx of migrants that is testing states across this country.” She went on to say that 3000 new migrants had received work permits; that Salem Hospital was now fully staffed in its housekeeping department for the first time in years thanks to the new arrivals; and that this success story could be replicated “around this state.”
One year later, Healey painted a very different picture. As the migrants keep coming, and as deep concerns are being raised about safety in the shelter system, Healey is proposing several steps that would restrict eligibility for families seeking emergency assistance. Given that, it’s no surprise that, in the 2025 State of the Commonwealth, the migrant crisis wasn’t framed as both a challenge and an opportunity; instead, it was a challenge, full stop.
“We are dramatically reducing costs, and we have and will prioritize Massachusetts families,” Healey said. “We’re going to keep working with the Legislature to reform this system.” Healey still wants the federal government to fix the border and the immigration system, and she did say that immigrant families with jobs and families here “deserve a path forward.” Still, the shift in tone from last year to this one was sharp enough to elicit rhetorical whiplash.
3. The state of Healey’s relationship with the Legislature is strong.
There’s ample precedent for governors seeing the state House and Senate as impediments to the realization of their vision — and, conversely, for legislative leaders seeing governors as roadblocks to the measures they’d implement if they could. (The Legislature is Democrat-dominated, but this dynamic applies to governors from both parties: think of Republican Mitt Romney and Democrat Deval Patrick, for example.) But with one biennial legislative session on the books and another one kicking off, Healey seems downright bullish on the Legislature as a governing partner. On Thursday, she touted the 2023-2024 session as one of the most productive in state history, and buoyantly ticked off the areas where she and the House and Senate got stuff done: “Tax cuts, housing, economic development, healthcare, climate, veterans!”
Then, for good measure, the governor added some sweet talk for House Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka: “Mr. Speaker, Senate President — it’s not lost on me this could not have happened without your leadership. Thanks for staying with it and getting so much done.” There are plenty of people, in the political media and the general public, who are skeptical at best when it comes to the Legislature’s ability to get big things done in a timely manner. The governor is not one of them.
4. New revenue? Not happening.
The arrival of a second Trump term armed with a Republican Congress will likely mean, among other things, that the massive jolts of economic stimulus funding that Massachusetts and other states received during the Biden Administration will no longer be forthcoming. That’s left some left-leaning legislators and activists wondering if there might be an appetite on Beacon Hill in the coming months for new sources of revenue to offset at least some of the federal funding that’ll be drying up. But Healey — whose ambitious tax-cut package was a signature achievement of her first half term in office — strongly suggested Thursday that the answer is no.
“State revenues are growing, but the cost of providing services has gone up, and federal pandemic relief is long gone,” Healey said. “So we will continue to control spending and live within our means just as every family and business is doing.”
5. The next time there’s a Democratic presidential primary, Healey is positioned to be in the mix.
Healey closed her speech by invoking JFK, who spoke at the same rostrum just before his inauguration in 1960 and whose remarks are now inscribed there. “In this moment, our actions matter more than our words,” Healey said. Then, a few moments later, she finished with a message that — with a tweak or two — would play in any one of a number of battleground states in the 2028 election cycle.
“In a time that is too often defined by our differences, let’s keep our eyes on the things we share in common,” Healey said. “Let’s recognize that our lives and fates are bound together. And let’s work for the common good in our Commonwealth.”
Take that rhetoric. Add Healey’s insistence that she’ll collaborate with the Trump Administration when possible. Then throw in the fact that Teamsters President Sean O’Brien, who declined to endorse the Democratic ticket in 2024, was in the State House Thursday night and got a shout-out from Healey about the value of trucking jobs for middle-class families. Healey isn’t just speaking as the governor anymore; she’s also speaking as someone who’s very much in the mix as the Democratic Party searches for its next standard bearer in the post-Biden era.
