Massachusetts voters to pick winners in statewide races

BOSTON — Besides casting ballots for the two top tier races in Massachusetts – governor and U.S. senate – voters will be deciding the winners of four other statewide offices on Tuesday’s ballot.

Here’s a look at the races for attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer and auditor. In the general election, the candidates for lieutenant governor run as a team with the candidate for governor from their party.

ATTORNEY GENERAL:

Incumbent Democratic Attorney General Maura Healey is running for a second fouryear term. She’s facing a challenge from Republican Jay McMahon, an attorney from Cape Cod.

The two have taken opposing views on a range of topics.

McMahon faulted Healey for her 2016 crackdown on “copy” or “duplicate” assault weapons. Healey has defended her decision, saying she was just enforcing the state’s existing assault weapons ban.

The two also clashed on the state’s 2016 transgender rights law, which is the subject of a repeal effort Tuesday. The law in part guarantees transgender people can use restrooms and locker rooms that correspond with their gender identities.

Healey supports the law, calling it an important guarantee of the rights of transgender people. McMahon said the law doesn’t include enough protections against those who might use it to gain access to bathrooms or locker rooms for illicit purposes.

SECRETARY OF STATE:

The longest-serving state- wide office-holder on the ballot – Secretary of State William Galvin – is seeking another four-year term. He’s being challenged by Republican Anthony Amore and Green-Rainbow candidate Juan Sanchez.

Galvin and Amore have split on whether the state should let residents register to vote and cast a ballot on the same day.

Galvin said he supports same-day voter registration. Amore said he’s against the proposal, saying he’s not convinced it could be done securely.

The two also differed on a new state system that will automatically update a person’s voter registration when that person notifies a state agency like the Registry of Motor Vehicles of a new address or other change in their voter status.

Amore said he’s concerned about the new system. Galvin backs it.

Galvin has held the office since 1995. Amore works as director of security at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.

TREASURER:

Democratic incumbent state Treasurer Deb Goldberg is hoping to fend off a challenge from Republican state Rep. Keiko Orrall and Green-Rainbow Party candidate Jamie Guerin as she seeks another four-year term.

On nearly every issue, Orrall has argued the state can do better than under the leadership of Goldberg, including the treasury’s unclaimed property division, which helps people search for forgotten savings and checking accounts, and the contents of unattended safe deposit boxes.

Orrall says Goldberg hasn’t worked hard enough to return the money. Goldberg’s office said the state returned about $118 million in unclaimed property in the 2018 fiscal year, up from the $100 million during the previous fiscal year.

The two also sparred about online lottery sale.

Goldberg said moving the lottery online is inevitable. Orrall is more skeptical, saying online lottery sales could hurt stores that rely on selling lottery tickets.

AUDITOR:

The auditor may have the lowest profile of any statewide office. This year, it also has the most crowded field of candidates.

Democratic incumbent auditor Suzanne Bump is facing three challengers – Republican Helen Brady, Libertarian Daniel Fishman and Green-Rainbow candidate Edward Stamas.

Bump, who’s seeking a third four-year term, said she sees her job as ensuring that government has the confidence of citizens.

She’s been criticized at times, such as in September when Republican Gov. Charlie Baker challenged her office’s conclusion that the Registry of Motor Vehicles had issued more than 1,900 drivers’ licenses under the names of dead people.

Brady is the business manager for the Boston Pops and has worked for the Boston Symphony Orchestra for 30 years. She describes herself as a political outsider and has said the auditor can do much more to identify wasteful spending.

Fishman said he’ll be an independent voice free of any political debts