BOSTON — Republican candidate Brian Shortsleeve recently sat down with Mass Daily News' Political Correspondent BAMW for a wide-ranging Q&A on affordability, immigration, energy policy, Second Amendment rights, and his reform record at the MBTA.

Shortsleeve, a Marine Corps veteran and venture capitalist, says Massachusetts is "on the wrong track" under Governor Healey — and lays out what he calls a “bold, commonsense conservative” vision to turn things around.

“I’m not a career politician,” he said. “I’m a Marine, a business leader, and a reformer. I’ve balanced budgets. I’ve cleaned up broken systems. I’m ready to do it again.”

Read his full responses — in his own words — below.

What inspired you to run for Governor, and how would your leadership differ from Governor Healey’s?

I entered this race because Massachusetts is on the wrong track, and my three sons, and all our children, deserve better. They shouldn't have to leave our state as economic refugees searching for opportunities elsewhere.

Just last week, it was reported that Massachusetts has an unemployment rate is the highest in nearly four years and a full half point above the national average. Job growth is stagnant. People and small businesses are being forced to leave the state. We desperately need a change of direction.

Unlike Maura Healey, I am not a career politician. I bring the discipline and focus of a Marine, the common sense of a proven business leader, and a record of reforming government.

As governor, I'll end the runaway spending that's driving our families and businesses away, tackle the costly migrant crisis by ending sanctuary state policies, and restore affordability and job growth. Massachusetts needs a turnaround—and I'm ready to lead it. I’m a Marine on a mission for Massachusetts.

What would a successful first year of your administration look like? What’s one deliverable you’d want voters to see right away?

My first year will be marked by decisive actions to restore affordability, economic growth, and common sense to Beacon Hill. On day one of a Shortsleeve administration, I will use the power of the governor to cut the outrageous state-mandated fees out of their utility bills to deliver immediate relief to families and businesses. We'll repeal the burdensome MBTA Communities Act and stop punishing local communities. End the costly migrant crisis and reform the Right to Shelter law. I'll cut taxes and streamline regulations to jumpstart economic growth, expand natural gas infrastructure to provide affordable energy solutions and further lower utility bills. And unlike Maura Healey, I will provide complete transparency about how your tax dollars are spent. Massachusetts voters will quickly see a government working for them again and delivering real results, not excuses.

Gov. Healey insists Massachusetts isn’t a sanctuary state, but a lot of people feel otherwise. How do you view the state’s role in immigration, and what would your approach be?**

Governor Healey has made Massachusetts a migrant magnet and she is bankrupting the state with billions of dollars of handouts to illegal immigrants at the expense of struggling Massachusetts taxpayers. It costs taxpayers $14,000 per month to house a migrant family in the emergency shelter system. That is almost twice the household income of the typical Massachusetts family. It’s a disgrace.

As governor, I will always put public safety and the rule of law first. I will extend the state’s 287(g) agreement to the State Police so they work cooperatively with federal law enforcement to remove dangerous criminal illegal immigrants from our streets, and push local jurisdictions to enter into 287(g) agreements; ensure information sharing with immigration officials across state agencies; expand the use of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to verify immigration status for those seeking public benefits; cut off taxpayer funding for nonprofits that obstruct law enforcement; seek legislation to limit the impact of the Lunn decision; and use every tool at my disposal, from legislation to litigation, to roll back Maura Healey’s migrant magnet policies.

Many residents say their energy bills have gone up under Gov. Healey. What would you do differently to make energy more affordable in Massachusetts?**

Maura Healey promised us an affordable Massachusetts, but instead everything has gotten more expensive, especially our energy bills. Due to her liberal agenda, our utility bills have skyrocketed, and we are among the most costly states in the nation for electricity. On day one, I will remove the Healey-mandated fees to lower people’s bills. All the Mass Save Programs will be re-evaluated top to bottom for return on investment for ratepayers. Moreover, I will make it my mission to bring in new natural gas pipelines to deliver affordable and reliable energy to Bay Staters.

Where do you stand on the Second Amendment in Massachusetts — do you support the current laws, or would you make changes?

I am a Marine who proudly served our country to protect our rights and freedoms. That includes all of them.

Maura Healey pushed for the Act to Modernize Firearm Laws (Chapter 135) to give voters the impression she is tough on crime when the opposite is true. If she cared about public safety, she would have law enforcement cooperating with ICE to remove criminal illegal immigrants.

Before Maura Healey signed Chapter 135 into law, Massachusetts had some of the toughest laws on the books, but many of them such as Bartley-Fox are not enforced. We need enforcement of our current laws, not more laws on the books.

When voters head to the polls in the 2026 Massachusetts GOP primary, why should they choose you over the rest of the field?

I’m the candidate that can defeat Maura Healey. We are in a crisis of affordability and to solve it Massachusetts needs proven leadership, not more politics as usual. I’m not a career politician. I'm a Marine, a business leader, and the proven government reformer. I have balanced budgets in the private sector and the public sector. I know how the economy works and how jobs are created. I exposed the waste, fraud and abuse that occurs in state government during my time at the MBTA, and I took the bold action that Maura Healey won’t in order to strip it out. I'm the only candidate who has taken on Beacon Hill’s entrenched interests and won. I have the discipline to cut taxes, end the costly migrant crisis, and make Massachusetts affordable again. If voters want bold, effective leadership and commonsense conservative solutions, I'm a Marine on a mission and ready to get the job done.

You helped lead major reforms at the MBTA. One project tied to your time there is the Green Line Extension. Supporters praise it; critics point to cost overruns and delays. How do you respond to those criticisms, and what lessons do you take from that experience?

I’m aware that some of my opponents have an interest in rewriting history on this topic. Here are the facts. The conservative Boston Herald said of my time with the T, “Shortsleeve’s work helped turn a bloated, underperforming agency into one focused on riders, performance, and results.” The Boston Globe said our reforms were “the best thing that ever happened to the transit system.” When those two editorial boards are saying the same thing, you know you’ve done something right. When Governor Baker brought me in to reform the MBTA, it was buried under 100 inches of snow and decades of mismanagement. The system was nearly bankrupt and riddled with waste. We took bold action: eliminated a $300 million operating deficit, brought accountability with zero-based budgeting, renegotiated labor contracts, privatized inefficient operations, and launched innovative solutions like rideshare partnerships. Our reforms delivered the first balanced budget in over a decade and slowed cost growth to its lowest rate in 15 years. The Green Line Extension project was moribund when we arrived. The federal government was withholding funding for the project because the MBTA was such a mess. We stepped in and revived the project and as a result, it was able to move forward. But much of the progress we made unfortunately has been reversed under Maura Healey and taxpayers are now once again having to bail it out to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars and deficits are projected for as far as the eye can see. We need real leadership to sustain progress, and Healey has not provided it. You can learn more about my record at the MBTA on my website at: https://brianshortsleeve.com/the-mbta-reform-reinvestment-results/

In 2024, voters overwhelmingly passed a ballot question allowing the State Auditor to audit the Legislature. Lawmakers have resisted. Do you support carrying out the audit in full?

Maura Healey has been so missing on the audit issue her picture belongs on the side of a milk carton. I say audit, baby, audit. Not only do I support the legislative audit, but I also want to end the exemption for the governor’s office and the state legislature from the public records law. We need more transparency, especially when it comes to our tax dollars. As the next governor, I know that I work for you.

With President Trump now back in office, how would you work with his administration to advance Massachusetts’ interests?

With Healey in the Corner Office, we don’t have a seat at the table. She has put her political agenda ahead of the Commonwealth’s best interest. I understand that it’s good politics for a Democrat governor to go on TV and attack the administration. But there is another approach that makes for better outcomes for the people, and as an example I’d point you to the Democratic governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer. Rather than poke Trump in the eye at every opportunity, she went to the White House twice to make her case for a new fighter mission to help save Selfridge Air National Guard Base near Detroit. And guess what? The president joined her in Michigan and delivered the project. Maybe, just maybe, Maura Healey should think about what the best way is to advocate for Massachusetts and not just what is the best way to score political points with her base. Whether it is the Cape bridges, the fishing industry, or research grants, I will work to find common ground to ensure the success of Massachusetts.

We’re seeing companies and people leave for states with lower costs. How do we keep talent and investment here in Massachusetts?

Under Maura Healey, Massachusetts is bleeding private sector jobs, workers and investment because it costs too much to live and do business here. I have seen it firsthand in my business where companies and their employees do not want to choose Massachusetts as their home. People and businesses are fleeing our state because the cost of living is too much. My top priority is restoring affordability for working families and creating a business-friendly environment where entrepreneurs can grow good paying jobs and young people can pursue their dreams right here in the Commonwealth. As governor, I will tackle the cost of electricity, affordable housing, and taxes. I will stop all the Healey regulations that discourage small businesses and be the helping hand they need in the Corner Office.

We’ve covered your professional experience, but let’s shift gears — can you share something interesting about yourself that has nothing to do with your career or politics?

No matter what is happening in my life, I have always found the time to help fellow veterans.

Shortsleeve joins fellow Republican Mike Kennealy in responding to Mass Daily News' Political Correspondent BAMW’s open candidate forum.

Read our full interview with Mike Kennealy here.