'Rogue' Republican faces backlash after saying he doesn't identify with GOP

Massachusetts Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Minogue is "catching flak" from his two primary challengers as he tries to distance himself from identifying with the GOP, reports Tim Dunn in the Boston Herald.

Minogue, a West Point graduate and Army Ranger who earned a Bronze Star in Operation Desert Storm, led Abiomed, a medical device company known for Impella heart pumps.

He launched his largely self-funded campaign for the 2026 Massachusetts gubernatorial election in October, focusing on affordability, safety, and accountability.

"In an interview with WBUR, Minogue said he does not identify with a political party, despite running as a Republican candidate," Dunn, who calls Minogue a "rogue Republican," says.

In that interview, Minogue said, "I don’t identify with a party. I didn’t swear an oath to the Constitution at West Point to a party. I swore the Constitution to America. And so I am very focused on the things around Massachusetts, and what I just talked about as my positions."

“I want people to vote for me because they think it’s in the best interest of Massachusetts, it’s the best interest for their kids, and it’s the best interest for the future. I don’t line up, and I’m going to go out and I’m going to recruit and build a base of new voters, new volunteers that are going to include independents, and it’s going to include fiscally responsible Democrats,” he said.

Minogue's Republican primary challengers Brian Shortsleeve and Mike Kennealy immediately seized on these comments, with their campaigns issuing statements to the Herald.

“Minogue’s comments are deeply concerning, especially given that he only recently registered as a Republican and has consistently kept the party and its supporters at arm’s length,” said Kennealy Campaign Communications Director Logan Trupiano.

Campaign Strategist for Brian Shortsleeve, Holly Robichaud, tells the Herald, "Republicans cannot nominate someone to lead our party who doesn’t even identify as a Republican. In order to win elections, the Republican Party must be committed to fundamental principles of fiscal responsibility, low taxes, individual freedom and public safety, not simply a vehicle for the political ambitions of a billionaire who flipped a coin to decide what party to join."

Minogue hit back at these statements, telling Dunn that his opponents are "weaponizing fidelity to the Constitution” and doubling down on his doctrine of being loyal to the Constitution over political parties.

“I swore an oath to the Constitution at West Point not to a political party. I won’t put party politics ahead of what is best for Massachusetts or America. Only the political elite would try to turn being an outsider into a negative. I’m not a career politician. I’m a veteran, a father, a husband, a man of faith, and a businessman who solves problems,” Minogue told the Herald in a written statement.

“What’s truly unimaginable is watching anyone running for office try to weaponize fidelity to the Constitution and service to our nation. I’m running as a new kind of governor because Massachusetts deserves principled leadership that works for people, not the political elite.”