Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Kennealy received a string of contributions in April that surpassed the max amount an individual can donate under state law, a situation his campaign attributed to donors covering credit card fees and couples giving through a single payment.
The excess donations flowed in during the first weeks of Kennealy’s campaign for governor and ranged from $1,041 to $2,000, according to state data. The 57-year-old from Lexington loaned his campaign $200,000 last month, which helped bring his total fundraising figure to $311,315, data shows.
Logan Trupiano, Kennealy’s campaign spokesperson, said some donors covered credit card fees associated with their $1,000 donations, which caused them to “slightly exceed” the max contribution allowed in a calendar year to a candidate for elected office.
“The Kennealy committee has refunded most of these $41 overages already, and will refund the remainder this week. Additionally, several joint spousal donors made maximum contributions in a single transaction — we are in the process of refunding and reattributing $1,000 in these instances,” Trupiano said in a statement to the Herald Monday night.
Massachusetts Democratic Party Chair Steve Kerrigan slammed Kennealy for the over-the-limit donations.
“MAGA Mike Kennealy is showing us once again he is not ready for prime time. OCPF rules are straightforward and clear. If he can’t manage that basic task, how would he run state government?” Kerrigan said in a statement to the Herald.
Trupiano fired back at Kerrigan.
“Gov. Maura Healey has mismanaged three billion taxpayer dollars on the migrant crisis so far. There isn’t much comparison,” he said, referring to cash the Healey administration has spent on state-run shelters housing local and migrant families.
Jason Tait, a spokesperson for the Office of Campaign and Political Finance, said the agency does not comment on specific candidates, but regulators review all reports submitted by political hopefuls that exceed the $1,000 limit.
The agency typically sends an audit letter to candidates who have received excess contributions to seek more information, Tait said.
If the campaign did receive an excess donation, the candidate is required to return the amount over the state limit, according to the Office of Campaign and Political Finance.
The nine individuals who donated $2,000 to Kennealy ranged from retirees to insurance executives and CEOs to farmers, according to state records.
Another 40-plus people, spanning teachers, executives, investors, and hotel owners, contributed $1,041.02 to Kennealy, campaign finance data showed.
More than 20 individuals donated the legal, top-dollar amount of $1,000, including an attorney from the firm WilmerHale, a senior lecturer at Harvard University, and a handful of finance executives, according to state data last updated Monday night.
Kennealy touted the April donations he pulled in as a “powerful message” and said they were more than any non-incumbent Republican gubernatorial candidate earned in their first month campaigning over the past 15 years.
“The people of Massachusetts are ready for new leadership. The Healey Administration has failed on affordability, public safety, housing, energy, and managing the migrant crisis,” he said in a statement last week.
Former Gov. Charlie Baker and Geoff Diehl, a former state lawmaker, are the only two other Republicans who have made it to a general election in Massachusetts over the past 15 years.
Baker ran in the 2010, 2014, and 2018 statewide elections, and Diehl competed in the 2022 election.
In the 2010 and 2014 elections, Baker faced a lower maximum individual donation cap of $500. Former Gov. Deval Patrick, a Democrat, signed legislation in August 2014 that doubled the individual contribution limit from $500 to $1,000 starting in 2015.
Kennealy is the only Republican to so far launch a gubernatorial campaign ahead of the 2026 elections. Brian Shortsleeve, a former MBTA executive and venture capitalist, and Sen. Peter Durant of Spencer are weighing a run.
Republican mega-donor Michael Minogue has had conversations with top brass at the Massachusetts Republican Party about a potential bid but has not responded to repeated Herald inquiries.
Healey, a first-term Democrat from Arlington, said earlier this year that she plans to run for reelection.