John J. Sullivan (Massachusetts Politician)

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The Massachusetts gubernatorial election of 2006 was held on November 7, 2006. Former US Assistant Attorney General Deval Patrick was elected to a four-year term, from January 4, 2007 until January 6, 2011. In his first elected office, Patrick is the second African-American governor in the United States since Reconstruction. Every four years, Massachusetts holds elections for Governor and Lieutenant Governor, as part of the general statewide election. The Primary election was September 19, 2006.

One-term Republican governor Mitt Romney did not seek re-election; his term ended January 4, 2007. Polls had been mixed prior to Romney's announcement, with one poll showing Romney slightly leading Democrat Attorney General Tom Reilly and other polls showing Reilly, who was then the Democratic frontrunner, in the lead. Romney endorsed Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey to succeed him in the 2006 gubernatorial election. Republican Christy Mihos left his party to run as an Independent, and the Green-Rainbow Party nominated a slate of candidates for statewide office. While the Libertarian Party has often run candidates for governor in the past, the deadline for filing signatures passed this year without a nominated Libertarian candidate. State law requires that candidates for state-wide office be registered in their party (or unenrolled for independent candidates) by March 7.

As incumbent Kerry Healey ran for Governor, the position of Lieutenant Governor was open. In Massachusetts, the Lieutenant Governor candidates are nominated separately from the Gubernatorial candidates, then the nominated tickets from each party run together.

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