The Boston Herald reported today that Sen. Elizabeth Warren suffered “another big loss” in her home state of Massachusetts, while the primary elections were “a big win for former President Donald Trump.”
The two, Warren and Trump, weren’t actually on the ballot in Tuesday’s Massachusetts primary but they spent heavy political capital, and a great deal of effort, trying to get their candidates the win — Warren for attorney general candidate Shannon Liss-Riordan and Trump for conservative GOP gubernatorial hopeful Geoff Diehl.
Liss-Riordan, a labor attorney, lost to former Boston City Councilor Andrea Campbell, who was supported by AG Maura Healey. Diehl defeated rival Chris Doughty by a comfortable margin.
For Warren, it was just the latest embarrassing defeat in Massachusetts, a state where she finished a dismal third in the 2020 presidential election. Pundits at the Boston Herald claim that “Warren has lost her clout and her connection with her home state voters.” Hers was a particularly puzzling endorsement for the liberal Warren, because Liss-Riordan’s opponent was the only black candidate in the running.
This should be a signal for Warren that it might be better for her to stay out of the 2024 presidential race altogether and instead devote her campaign efforts to focus on her next U.S. Senate re-election race because she could be vulnerable if a strong Democrat tries to challenge her.
Diehl won despite having almost no campaign cash and losing the support of Herald columnist and radio host Howie Carr. But he did have Trump, his highly visibly weapon who held a tele-rally for Diehl on Monday night and urged Bay State voters to reject the more moderate “RINO” Doughty.
Diehl’s victory cements Trump’s popularity among Massachusetts Republicans. This is now clearly the party of Trump and a harbinger of what to expect in November.
