Election 2026: Local pocketbooks, state politics

Local races may be largely uncontested this year in Weston, but residents are still making their opinions known about state politics through donations.

Since the start of 2025 through mid-October 2026, Weston residents have individually contributed $668,247 to political candidates, political action committees and other groups across the state, according to data from the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF). 

That total comprises over a thousand individual donations, ranging from $16 to $25,000. Massachusetts state law allows individuals to donate up to $1,000 to a candidate or a candidate’s committee each calendar year, but there is no limit to donations for independent expenditure political action committees, also known as super PACs.

The largest recipient is Brian Shortsleeve, a Republican gubernatorial candidate. He received $86,740 from Weston residents, but lost the Republican primary at both the state and town level. Mike Minogue, who received $17,880 from Weston residents, won the nomination. In Weston, Minogue earned 213 votes to Shortsleeve’s 145. 

Minogue is running against the second-largest recipient of Weston donations, Gov. Maura Healey, the Democratic incumbent who is running for a second term this year. She received $75,646 from Weston residents.

After Shortsleeve and Healey, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu received the largest amount of political candidate donations from Weston. The majority of donations – $26,965 of $43,115 – went to Wu before the city’s Nov. 4, 2025 mayoral race. Weston residents also donated $37,600 to Josh Kraft, who withdrew from the mayoral election after the primary.

Wu is far from the only out-of-town politician to receive funding from Weston. Other recipients include state Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, who received $9,025 and chairs the House and Joint Ways and Means Committees while representing Boston’s North End, South End, Beacon Hill, Chinatown and Back Bay neighborhoods, among others. Some donations went farther afield out to Cape Cod and the Islands – including state Sen. Julian Cyr, who received $1,300 from Weston. 

Ray La Raja, a professor of political science at University of Massachusetts Amherst and the co-director of UMass Poll, said it is normal for people to contribute to campaigns beyond their own backyard.

“Weston is an affluent town. People there are probably highly engaged in politics and they have the ability to contribute,” he said. “It could be a friend, they could be people who serve on committees who are relevant to the donor. Without knowing the donor, it’s hard to make comments.”

The Commonwealth Unity Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee received the third-largest amount of donations overall, $52,500, from Weston residents. The PAC’s purpose is “to educate voters and highlight candidates who support small businesses, encourage innovation and ensure economic growth in Massachusetts,” according to its statement of organization submitted to the OCPF. The group’s expenditures from this past August include thousands of dollars in messaging in support of Shortsleeve and opposition to Minogue.

Both the Democratic State Committee and the Republican State Committee were high on the list of recipients as well, receiving $31,500 and $24,331, respectively. Both committees are responsible for state-wide fundraising and directing party policy.

Politicians directly serving Weston were lower on the list of recipients over this past year than other politicians. Both state Rep. Alice Peisch and state Sen. Michael Barrett ran uncontested primary races and are running unopposed in the general election. Peisch received $1,750 in donations, while Barrett received $1,260. La Raja said donations for uncontested races can be part of a larger plan to build a platform.

“They could be building friendships. A state senator might give to someone else in a close race to build power in the Senate,” La Raja said.

The last chance for Weston residents to have a say in this election is in the voting booth. Election day is Nov. 3.