Democrats accuse Republican AG candidate of submitting fake signatures

The state Democratic Party has accused two Republican candidates — Michael Walsh, running for attorney general, and Anne Manning Martin, running for lieutenant governor — of “knowingly and willingly” submitting fraudulent signatures to appear on the September primary ballot.

Candidates in these races must submit 10,000 certified signatures to the Secretary of State’s Office to get on the 2026 ballot.

MassDems Chair Steve Kerrigan called on Walsh and Manning Martin to withdraw from their races in a press release.

It is not just Democrats, though: Shawn Oliver, a New Bedford city councilor and another Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, also filed an objection against Manning Martin, his would-be primary opponent, over the signatures.

And Jordan Korgood, a Democrat running for Governor’s Council in the Fourth District, is also facing an objection over his residency and party enrollment, according to Secretary of State William F. Galvin’s office.

The objections are currently pending before the State Ballot Law Commission. Hearings will begin on June 16, according to Galvin’s office.

Adam Roof, executive director of MassDems, expressed multiple problems with the signatures in his formal objection, including that numerous names were “written by the same hand,” certified twice or signed by people who were not registered or not eligible to be registered. He said that after the fraudulent signatures are taken out, the candidates will no longer have the required 10,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot.

In response, Walsh’s campaign accused Kerrigan of acting like an “attack dog” for AG Andrea J. Campbell and said the objection is an effort to avoid a competitive race for her seat.

“Michael Walsh stands behind the rule of law and respects the legal processes established under Massachusetts election law,” Walsh’s campaign wrote. “More than 10,000 Massachusetts voters signed nomination papers supporting Walsh’s candidacy because they want a real choice on the ballot and a serious discussion about public safety, accountability, and restoring trust in government.”

Manning Martin’s campaign did not immediately return a request for comment.

Governor’s Council challenge

Ronald Iacobucci has filed an objection to the candidacy of Jordan Korgood, a Democrat from Boston running for Governor’s Council.

Both Iacobucci and Korgood are running in the Democratic primary for the Fourth District.

The objection did not take issue with Korgood’s signatures. Rather, it says that Korgood has not lived in Massachusetts for the required amount of time nor has been a member of the Democratic party long enough to qualify for the ballot.

“I have received Mr. Iacobucci’s Objection and am reviewing with my legal team,” Korgood said. “We will respond as required by Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Elections Division rules and I will have a more detailed statement at that time.”

The hearing for this challenge will also take place on June 16.