2018 Massachusetts gubernatorial election
The 2018 Massachusetts gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018, to elect the governor and lieutenant governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Republican Governor Charlie Baker and Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito sought reelection to a second term in office, facing Democratic challengers Jay Gonzalez and Quentin Palfrey, respectively. Candidates were selected in the primary election held on September 4, 2018.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 60.17% 9.33% | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Baker: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Gonzalez: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Tie: 40–50% 50% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| Elections in Massachusetts |
|---|
| Massachusetts portal |
Despite Massachusetts's Democratic lean, Charlie Baker retained high approval ratings and was expected to safely win re-election.
Shortly after polls closed at 8 p.m. local time, the Associated Press declared the race in favor of incumbents Baker and Polito. Shortly after 9 p.m. location time, Gonzalez conceded the election.
Baker was reelected with the highest vote total in the history of Massachusetts gubernatorial elections and by the widest margin since Bill Weld was reelected governor in 1994. He won many of the Commonwealth's most populated cities, including Worcester, New Bedford, and Springfield. Baker almost won Boston, losing it by only around 3,000 votes, an extraordinary showing for a statewide Republican candidate in a major city.
As of 2024, this is the most recent time that a Republican has won a statewide election in Massachusetts.