Politics
Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Minogue announced he will run without a lieutenant governor.
Shawn Oliver, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, pleaded not guilty to all charges related to his alleged drunk driving crash during his arraignment Monday.
The plea comes one day after Oliver, 42, announced the suspension of his campaign following pressure from GOP allies, including Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Minogue.
Minogue released a statement Monday announcing he will run without a candidate for lieutenant governor.
“Minogue hopes Oliver will be given privacy as he recovers his health and focuses on his family,” the statement reads. “To be clear, Oliver will not be Minogue’s lieutenant governor.”
Gov. Maura Healey, who is running for her second term opposite the Minogue-Oliver ticket, said Monday that she’s glad no one was hurt, but it’s obvious there’s “chaos” at the Minogue campaign.
New Bedford District Court Judge Joseph Harrington released Oliver on his own recognizance Monday, court records show.
Representation for Oliver did not respond to a request for comment.
New Bedford police arrested Oliver after he struck five parked vehicles — two of which sustained “extensive damage” — and flipped his own car over just before midnight Saturday evening, police spokesperson Holly Huntoon told Boston.com.
New details found in police reports show Oliver admitted to consuming two alcoholic beverages before visiting a friend’s house. Police said he smelled of alcohol, and his eyes were bloodshot and glassy.
New details in police report
New Bedford police responded to reports of a crash in the city’s South End neighborhood at 448 Dartmouth St. around 11:30 p.m., according to police reports. Police found a black Lincoln Navigator flipped on its roof and identified its driver as Oliver, a New Bedford city councilor.
A witness driving behind Oliver told police the candidate’s car initially didn’t move when the light turned green at an intersection along Dartmouth Street. Oliver then nearly hit the right curb before quickly veering to the left. He then crossed an intersection and struck a row of parked cars, according to police reports.
Oliver, who was sitting in a chair that a bystander provided, sustained a laceration to the right side of his head and was bleeding, police said. The laceration required medical staples, according to police reports.
Oliver told police “It’s been a long day” and that he had been “burning both ends of the wick,” according to police reports. He repeatedly asked if everyone else was OK.
No other people sustained injuries from the collision, police wrote.
Oliver was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, where he told police he drank two alcoholic beverages at Black Bass Grille, a seafood restaurant in South Dartmouth. He then said he went to a friend’s house in Dartmouth, according to police reports.
Police determined Oliver was under the influence of alcohol and placed him under arrest. He threw up prior to the arrest, police records say.
Police charged Oliver with operating under the influence of liquor, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, marked lanes violation, and a speeding violation, court records show.
Oliver’s next court date is a pretrial hearing on Nov. 16 in New Bedford District Court.
Political fallout from the suspended campaign
Oliver announced his intent to suspend his campaign in a social media post Sunday. The campaign page on Facebook is no longer available as of Monday evening.
“This election is too important to be overshadowed by personal matters,” Oliver wrote in a now unavailable Facebook post. “I want to sincerely thank everyone who has supported me throughout this journey and ask that my family’s privacy be respected during this difficult time.”
Minogue, who ran alongside Oliver, made it clear that Oliver is not and will not be his lieutenant governor if Minogue is elected. In statements posted online, Minogue said that Oliver’s resignation will be official “when [he] takes office.”
“Moving forward, leaving the position unfilled will save taxpayers well over $300,000 in salary and security costs,” Minogue said in the statement.
Maine and New Hampshire do not have a lieutenant governor.
Without a lieutenant governor, the secretary of the commonwealth is next in the gubernatorial line of succession, according to Massachusetts’ order of succession.
With just over two weeks until Election Day, Saturday evening’s October surprise could stir confusion among voters. Early ballots and ballots on Election Day will still display Oliver’s name.
But, according to the latest polling, the distance between Healey and Minogue may be insurmountable, even excluding Oliver’s arrest. A UMass Amherst poll out Monday, conducted Oct. 5-12, shows Healey holding a 25-point advantage.
During a press scrum after an official event Monday, Healey pointed out that Oliver is Minogue’s second failed running mate.
Anne Brensley won the GOP endorsement for lieutenant governor during the April convention. However, she failed to collect enough verified signatures to get on the ballot as lieutenant governor.
“We’ve got enough chaos with Donald Trump. We don’t need more from Mike Minogue,” Healey said during a media scrum provided by her campaign.
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