By Tiffany Williams –
BOSTON — Formal challenges have been filed against the nomination papers of Republican Attorney General candidate Michael C. Walsh and Republican lieutenant governor candidate Anne Manning Martin, alleging that numerous certified signatures submitted in support of their candidacies should be invalidated.
The objections were filed Wednesday with the Massachusetts State Ballot Law Commission by Adam Roof, a registered voter from Boston. In separate filings, Roof alleges that numerous certified signatures submitted by both candidates were written by the same hand, were not signed in person by the voter, were signed by individuals who were not registered voters, were non-genuine, or were fraudulently obtained. The objections also allege that some signatures were certified twice and that some voters had requested their names be removed from the petitions.
According to the filings, the challenged signatures should be struck from the nomination papers and, if enough signatures are removed, Walsh and Manning Martin would fall below the 10,000 certified signatures required by Massachusetts law to qualify for the statewide primary ballot. The objections ask the commission to hold hearings, review the evidence presented, and determine whether either candidate should be removed from the Republican primary ballot scheduled for Sept. 1, 2026.
The filings represent allegations made by the objector and do not constitute findings by the State Ballot Law Commission. No ruling has been issued on the merits of the challenges.
The challenges prompted a response from Massachusetts Democratic Party Chair Steve Kerrigan, who called on both candidates to withdraw from their races.
“Massachusetts GOP candidates for Attorney General, Michael Walsh, and Lieutenant Governor, Anne Manning-Martin, both knowingly and willingly submitted fraudulent signatures in their attempt to get on the primary ballot this September,” Kerrigan said in a statement released Wednesday.
“Today, we are calling on Michael Walsh and Anne Manning-Martin to do the right thing and withdraw from their races before the Friday deadline. To make any other decision would be to fully abdicate the Republican Party’s position that they stand for election integrity.”
Kerrigan also called on Massachusetts Republican Party leaders to condemn what he described as illegal actions by the candidates and said the signature process exists to demonstrate genuine public support for candidates seeking office. He further said election officials should be commended for identifying potential irregularities and notifying candidates and election authorities.
Neither Walsh nor Manning Martin had statements included in the documents provided. The ballot challenges are expected to proceed through the State Ballot Law Commission review process, where the allegations and supporting evidence will be considered before any determination is made regarding ballot access.