Leah Cole Allen, a nurse who did not comply with a vaccine mandate, won the Republican primary for lieutenant governor, forming a right-wing ticket with Geoff Diehl.
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Leah Cole Allen, right, with Geoff Diehl in Norwood, Mass., last month. Their right-wing ticket makes Republicans the underdogs for governor.
Leah Cole Allen, a nurse who was fired from her job for not complying with a Covid-19 vaccine mandate, won the Republican primary for lieutenant governor of Massachusetts, according to The Associated Press, which called the race on Wednesday morning.
Ms. Allen, a former state representative, ran on a platform favoring “individual liberty,” parents’ rights in schools and being tough on crime.
She defeated Kate Campanale, a former state representative, and will team up with Geoff Diehl, who won the primary for governor, on a right-wing ticket that makes Republicans the underdogs to succeed the administration of Gov. Charlie Baker. The Democratic candidate, Maura Healey, is favored, with a strong lead in polls.
Mr. Baker, a moderate Republican who is popular in his deep-blue state, is retiring as the state party increasingly embraces the politics and policies of former President Donald J. Trump. Mr. Trump has repeatedly called Mr. Baker a Republican in name only, and he told supporters of Mr. Diehl on Monday that “he’ll rule your state with an iron fist,” echoing language he used to praise China’s authoritarian leader, Xi Jinping, at a Pennsylvania rally Saturday.
Ms. Allen was elected to the statehouse in her mid-20s. She resigned in 2015 to continue a career in nursing. After joining with Mr. Diehl as his running mate, she revealed that she had been fired in May from her job at Beverly Hospital in Beverly, Mass., because she was unvaccinated. Opposition to vaccine and mask mandates was a core of her campaign.
Source: nytimes.com
