Two Republican candidates seeking statewide office are facing formal challenges to their ballot access after the Massachusetts Democratic Party alleged that invalid signatures were submitted as part of their efforts to qualify for the Sept. 1 primary election.
MassDems Executive Director Adam Roof filed objections Wednesday with the State Ballot Law Commission against attorney general candidate Michael Walsh and lieutenant governor candidate Anne Manning Martin.
Manning Martin, a Peabody resident with eight years of service on the Peabody School Committee, 19 years on the Peabody City Council, and three decades in law enforcement, is seeking the republican nomination for lieutenant governor. Walsh, a Lynnfield attorney, is running for attorney general and is currently unopposed for his party’s nomination.
The filings ask the commission to review the candidates’ nomination papers and determine whether enough signatures should be invalidated to remove either candidate from the ballot.
The filing states that numerous signatures submitted by both campaigns were allegedly written by the same hand, not signed in person by voters, signed by people who are not registered voters, signed by ineligible individuals to register, duplicated, fraudulently obtained, or otherwise non-genuine.
The filings also allege that some signatures belonged to voters who later requested that their names be removed from the petitions.
The objections argue that if those signatures are struck, both candidates would fall below the 10,000 certified signatures required under state law to appear on the ballot. The filings request that the State Ballot Law Commission hold hearings and, if warranted, direct the Secretary of the Commonwealth not to place the candidates’ names on the Republican primary ballot.
In a statement announcing the objections, Massachusetts Democratic Party Chair Steve Kerrigan alleged that both candidates, “knowingly and willingly submitted fraudulent signatures in their attempt to get on the primary ballot this September.”
Kerrigan argued that efforts to circumvent those requirements undermine confidence in elections.
“The signature process exists to demonstrate genuine public support, and any effort to circumvent those requirements undermines confidence in our democratic system and is also a violation of the rights of the voters whose names were unknowingly used to perpetrate this fraud,” he said.
He also called on Republican gubernatorial candidates Mike Minogue and Brian Shortsleeve, along with the Massachusetts Republican Party, to condemn the alleged conduct.
In a statement, Walsh’s campaign denied the allegations and described it as an effort by Democratic Party leadership to avoid a competitive race for Attorney General.
“Steve Kerrigan isn’t acting like an impartial party chairman—he’s acting like Campbell’s attack dog,” said a campaign spokesman. “Massachusetts voters can see exactly what’s happening here. Rather than defending Andrea Campbell’s indefensible record as Attorney General, the Democratic establishment is focused on political games, trying to disparage the popular candidate, and attempting to silence the will of Massachusetts voters.”
The spokesman continued, “The reality is that Andrea Campbell has a record she would rather not defend, particularly around the audit that 72% of voters passed into law in 2024. Andrea Campbell can spend the next five months attacking Michael Walsh, or she can defend her record. Either way, Massachusetts voters deserve a choice this November—and they’re going to get one.”
The Massachusetts Republican Party defended both candidates.
“The Massachusetts Republican Party stands behind Anne Manning Martin and Mike Walsh,” MassGOP Chair Amy Carnevale said in a statement.
Carnevale said voters deserve contested races and confidence that election laws will be applied fairly and consistently. She criticized Democrats for what she described as a selective approach to election integrity issues.
A spokesperson for Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin confirmed that the State Ballot Law Commission had received the objections. The spokesperson described the commission as an independent, bipartisan body appointed by the governor and said Galvin would not comment on a matter pending before the commission.
Manning Martin’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
