June 17, 2025 • 5 mins
Mike Kennealy, GOP candidate for Governor of Massachusetts, talks about his candidacy for the governor's race this year and whether Massachusetts will turn to the Republican party to address affordability issues. He speaks with hosts Tom Keene and Paul Sweeney.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
There is a war in Massachusetts between Republicans and Democrats
that's been there since they landed on Plymouth Rock a
few years ago, and all I can say is many
talk and few do. Mike Knnely joins this Republican candidate
for governor of Massachusetts, and out of Saint John's, Danvers
and Dartmouth, he did something really, really unique. He went
(00:31):
off to save a hugely troubled city system in Lawrence, Massachusetts.
Were welcome all of ninety two nine and FM in
Boston and across this nation to somebody who went into
the trenches and said we need to fix this. Mike Connely,
what did you learn about fixing the mess in Lawrence,
(00:52):
Massachusetts that you would bring to the governor.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Well, it's a great question. I appreciate the chance to
come on today. As you alluded to, I went to
college and business school. I had a long career in
the private equity business, but I decided a dozen years
ago what I wanted to do was public service, and
my first job was Lawrence. I joined the team tasked
with turning around the Lawrence public schools and what I
learned firsthand is the power of leadership and collaboration and
(01:18):
the ability to get things done when you put the
outcome ahead of the politics. And so I joined a
team that was empowered to make real change through state receivership,
and we did things like cut the size of the
bureocracy by forty percent and put those dollars in the classroom.
There's innovative new programs, and we brought parents and teachers
and community members together to drive better results for our
(01:40):
kids and two years who took a high school graduation
rate from fifty two percent to seventy two percent. So
it was the power of cutting the bureaucracy, leading with
leading with results, and bringing people together.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Mike, I need a three hour conversation. I don't have
that time. Paul's looking at me saying, ask about Trump.
Are you better position as governor of a commonwealth to
take on Donald Trump? Given all the horror stories I
read in the Boston Globe versus the president democratic.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Governor, I'm way better positioned than her to work with
anybody that wants to move our straight forward, including the President.
And I've said for a long time now, when things
happen in Washington, the governor heally doesn't like she must
tell her team get me on TV. I would tell
my team, get me on a plane and get down
there and work with the President and his team to
help do things that are good for Massachusetts. I think
(02:30):
I'm way better positioned. She built her career by assuing
Donald Trump. I built my career by working with people
across all facets of life, all sectors to get things done.
And that's the same approach I would take as.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Go Good Morning ninety nine FM in Boston and across
this nation. Mike Kenneely with US Republican candidate for the Commonwealth.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Mike, what's the from your perspective, the number one issue
for the people of Massachusetts and what your policy as
relates to that.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Yeah, I'm not sure there's one. But we've articulated three
pillars of our campaign, which is affordability, opportunity, and better government. Right,
we've got a cost of living crisis here. People cannot
afford to live in Massachusetts on the one hand. On
the other hand, it's not an economic opportunity. We're fifty
at among the fifty states and job creation in the
last couple of years, and our education test scores are
down over the last dozen years, so we're not preparing
(03:18):
the workforce of the future. And in terms of the
quality of our government, we have a state government that's
not fiscally responsible, not accountable, not transparent, and can't manage
a crisis. So for me, there's never one issue that's
three affordability, opportunity, and would we call it a government
you can believe in? And people cannot believe in this
government today.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Mike, you talked about number fifty in what I think
business creation That really shocks me coming from a state
like Massachusetts. What's going on this.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
The job creation we divors to San Francisco.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
This, I mean it should surprise all of us. We look,
we're Massachusetts, right, we have leading positions some of the
most important industries globally, we have great companies, great leaders,
great communities, and because of Beacon Hill's fail policies, we're
fifty at them on the fifty states and job creations.
So we should all look at that and just say, look,
that is not acceptable, and that's the fault of the
(04:13):
CEO of the state, and that CEO is more heally,
so we need a change in leadership.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Mike, one more question here, we'll get you back on
as you staggered towards the election. I'm going to go
to Beth Israel DEACONUS, their center for Virology and vexxine research.
What would you say right now to Secretary Kennedy about
the science of Boston, Massachusetts.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
I would say, we have the best science in the world, okay.
And the reason why my family and I ride the
panmass Challenge every year, for example, is that our institutions,
like in that case Dana Farbert you mentioned Bed Israel,
our institutions get results. So I would tell them what
you get when you invest in Massachusetts, and you should
invest here. We are the leader.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Mike Kennely, thank us so much for Ninetie to Night
and FM in Boston. Republican candidate the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
for governor, and for all of you across the nation.
Just a window, Paul, You're right, I was stunned fiftieth
in job creation. Really, it's like worse expense housing issues
than New York. In the Tri state area. There's some
(05:18):
real challenges up there, including the designated hitter position.
Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
There is a war in Massachusetts between Republicans and Democrats
that's been there since they landed on Plymouth Rock a
few years ago, and all I can say is many
talk and few do. Mike Knnely joins this Republican candidate
for governor of Massachusetts, and out of Saint John's, Danvers
and Dartmouth, he did something really, really unique. He went
(00:31):
off to save a hugely troubled city system in Lawrence, Massachusetts.
Were welcome all of ninety two nine and FM in
Boston and across this nation to somebody who went into
the trenches and said we need to fix this. Mike Connely,
what did you learn about fixing the mess in Lawrence,
(00:52):
Massachusetts that you would bring to the governor.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Well, it's a great question. I appreciate the chance to
come on today. As you alluded to, I went to
college and business school. I had a long career in
the private equity business, but I decided a dozen years
ago what I wanted to do was public service, and
my first job was Lawrence. I joined the team tasked
with turning around the Lawrence public schools and what I
learned firsthand is the power of leadership and collaboration and
(01:18):
the ability to get things done when you put the
outcome ahead of the politics. And so I joined a
team that was empowered to make real change through state receivership,
and we did things like cut the size of the
bureocracy by forty percent and put those dollars in the classroom.
There's innovative new programs, and we brought parents and teachers
and community members together to drive better results for our
(01:40):
kids and two years who took a high school graduation
rate from fifty two percent to seventy two percent. So
it was the power of cutting the bureaucracy, leading with
leading with results, and bringing people together.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Mike, I need a three hour conversation. I don't have
that time. Paul's looking at me saying, ask about Trump.
Are you better position as governor of a commonwealth to
take on Donald Trump? Given all the horror stories I
read in the Boston Globe versus the president democratic.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Governor, I'm way better positioned than her to work with
anybody that wants to move our straight forward, including the President.
And I've said for a long time now, when things
happen in Washington, the governor heally doesn't like she must
tell her team get me on TV. I would tell
my team, get me on a plane and get down
there and work with the President and his team to
help do things that are good for Massachusetts. I think
(02:30):
I'm way better positioned. She built her career by assuing
Donald Trump. I built my career by working with people
across all facets of life, all sectors to get things done.
And that's the same approach I would take as.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Go Good Morning ninety nine FM in Boston and across
this nation. Mike Kenneely with US Republican candidate for the Commonwealth.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Mike, what's the from your perspective, the number one issue
for the people of Massachusetts and what your policy as
relates to that.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Yeah, I'm not sure there's one. But we've articulated three
pillars of our campaign, which is affordability, opportunity, and better government. Right,
we've got a cost of living crisis here. People cannot
afford to live in Massachusetts on the one hand. On
the other hand, it's not an economic opportunity. We're fifty
at among the fifty states and job creation in the
last couple of years, and our education test scores are
down over the last dozen years, so we're not preparing
(03:18):
the workforce of the future. And in terms of the
quality of our government, we have a state government that's
not fiscally responsible, not accountable, not transparent, and can't manage
a crisis. So for me, there's never one issue that's
three affordability, opportunity, and would we call it a government
you can believe in? And people cannot believe in this
government today.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Mike, you talked about number fifty in what I think
business creation That really shocks me coming from a state
like Massachusetts. What's going on this.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
The job creation we divors to San Francisco.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
This, I mean it should surprise all of us. We look,
we're Massachusetts, right, we have leading positions some of the
most important industries globally, we have great companies, great leaders,
great communities, and because of Beacon Hill's fail policies, we're
fifty at them on the fifty states and job creations.
So we should all look at that and just say, look,
that is not acceptable, and that's the fault of the
(04:13):
CEO of the state, and that CEO is more heally,
so we need a change in leadership.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Mike, one more question here, we'll get you back on
as you staggered towards the election. I'm going to go
to Beth Israel DEACONUS, their center for Virology and vexxine research.
What would you say right now to Secretary Kennedy about
the science of Boston, Massachusetts.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
I would say, we have the best science in the world, okay.
And the reason why my family and I ride the
panmass Challenge every year, for example, is that our institutions,
like in that case Dana Farbert you mentioned Bed Israel,
our institutions get results. So I would tell them what
you get when you invest in Massachusetts, and you should
invest here. We are the leader.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Mike Kennely, thank us so much for Ninetie to Night
and FM in Boston. Republican candidate the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
for governor, and for all of you across the nation.
Just a window, Paul, You're right, I was stunned fiftieth
in job creation. Really, it's like worse expense housing issues
than New York. In the Tri state area. There's some
(05:18):
real challenges up there, including the designated hitter position.
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