Victory Speech - Nov. 8, 2022

Thank you, everybody. Thank you so much.

Thank you to the voters and thank you to the people of Massachusetts.

And let's hear It for Kim Driscoll. I’ve been so lucky to have her as a partner in this campaign, and we’re all lucky to have her as our next lieutenant governor.

I’m here tonight….I'm here tonight because of the people across this state who’ve taken the time to talk to me about their lives and their dreams, what they want and what they need. Your stories have driven everything that I’ve done.

To those of you who voted for me and to those who didn't—I want you to know I’ll be a governor for everyone And I’ll work with anyone who’s up for making a difference in this state.

I want you to know I understand what you feel, I understand where you are, and I'm going to do everything in my power to help you. Because we’re all in this together.

Thank you to my incredible campaign team and to all of the volunteers who knocked doors, held signs, made calls, and helped bring this home.

Thank you to my friends and family, who stood by me and supported me. Especially to my mom, for showing me from an early age what it means to be strong. And to my stepdad, who caught me when I fell.

Thank you to so many teachers, coaches, mentors and friends.

Thank you to all the little girls and boys I’ve met along the way. Your smiles, your joy reminded me what this was all about and what it will always be about.

And yes, thank you, big time, to all of the ballers out there. All of the ballers who through five decades, in gyms, playgrounds, parks, taught me about hard work, teamwork, and toughness.

And finally, thank you to the women and men of the Massachusetts attorney general's office. Our work together, our work together, over these many years taught me about how public service can change people's lives for the better. Some of it made the headlines, most of it didn't. But all of it mattered. So many people all across this state were helped by your work, and they will continue to be. It has been an honor and a privilege to work with all of you. I thank you all.

Tonight…tonight I want to say something to every little girl and every young LGBTQ person out there – I hope…I hope tonight shows you that you can be whatever, whoever you want to be. And nothing – you kids know that! – nothing, nothing and no one can ever get in your way – except your own imagination. And that’s not going to happen.

Tonight, to all of you, to all of you out there, with the help of so many, we made history, didn't we? We did!

I stand before you tonight, proud to be the very first woman and the first gay person ever elected governor of Massachusetts.

This team and this ticket – this is the first time in our country's history where we’ve ever elected two women at the top. We made history.

Now, now, the path to this moment was blazed by so many who broke barriers before us. I think about people like Evelyn Murphy, Kerry Healy, Karyn Polito, Jane Swift, and Deval Patrick.

And I think about more history that we’re making tonight in this election. Let's hear it for our next attorney general, Andrea Campbell.

Look, we are lucky to live in Massachusetts, because in Massachusetts, we strive to be a place of equality and opportunity, a place where you can be proud of who you are, and you can be sure that we are not going to let anyone take that away.

The people of Massachusetts tonight have given us a historic opportunity and a mandate to act. So we’re going to ignore the noise. We’re going to focus every day on making a positive influence on people's lives.

Our job from day one will be to make our state more affordable. I’ll be a governor for every person struggling with higher cost. We’ll make Massachusetts more competitive and affordable so that you can come here, stay here, and grow their businesses here.

We’ll cut taxes, fix roads and bridges, invest in education and job training. And we’ll take on the climate crisis and create great clean energy jobs.

And as long as I’m governor, women will always have the freedom to control their own bodies, and our state will provide access to safe, legal abortion. We will protect women, we will protect patients, and we will protect providers, Massachusetts.

The people in Massachusetts expect us to act and to deliver.

Now you know that for me, everything’s about teamwork. You’ve seen the commercials. That starts tomorrow, when Kim and I will meet with Gov. Baker and Lt. Gov. Polito to begin this transition. We will model the type of leadership and collaboration and yes, the respect we want to see elsewhere.

Because in Massachusetts, we lift people up. We come together and we lead. That’s who we are.

I'm so grateful to everyone who has shared the hopes and dreams that you have for your children, for yourselves, for your family, and for this state. This is your time. This is our time. Together, we’ll build a stronger Massachusetts for everyone. I know we can do it together. We’re going to do it.

Thank you all so much, and God bless the great state of Massachusetts and all of its people. Thank you all.

CBS Boston. “Maura Healey speaks after being elected Massachusetts Governor.” YouTube video, 10:34. Nov. 8, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLN3aHYnSI0