New England has always been a Democratic stronghold, writes The Boston Globe, and when it comes to the Republican party, "New England is where MAGA goes to die."
"Trump’s ability to take over state Republican parties, recruit candidates, help them win primaries, and build a lasting legacy has been limited," the Globe says.
New England is reliably Democratic — all U.S. House members from the six-state region are Democrats, eleven of the 12 U.S. senators are Democrats, and five of the six governors endorsed Kamala Harris for president last year.
New Hampshire, the only state in the region with a Republican governor (Kelly Ayotte), is facing pressure from the White House to redistrict, the Globe says.
"They want Ayotte to agree to redistrict the state’s two US House seats — currently both held by Democrats — just as they’ve asked other Republican governors to do. In theory, the state legislature could take up the matter during special sessions this fall. But Ayotte has flatly refused," says the Globe.
And while the White House tried to threaten Ayotte with a primary challenger, no one volunteered until senior adviser in the Department of Homeland Security Corey Lewandowski threw his name into the ring via text to a reporter.
"But in reality, Lewandowski was making a bigger admission: once again, he and the broader MAGA movement haven’t convinced anyone else to put their name forward," the Globe says.
While Ayotte did not endorse Trump in the 2024 election, her predecessor, Chris Sununu (R-NH), endorsed Nikki Haley. Other prominent New Hampshire politicians did not endorse Trump either.
"Similarly, Trump has left little lasting imprint in Maine," the Globe says. "Every MAGA-backed candidate in that district has lost, despite Trump’s success there. Maine Republicans today are more organized around Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), who never voted for Trump in the general elections of 2016, 2020, or 2024."
In Vermont, the Globe notes, "Governor Phil Scott, a Republican who has also never voted for Trump, remains the model."
Massachusetts "briefly fell under MAGA’s sway," the Globe says, as "one of the three Republicans running for governor next year hail from the MAGA wing."
In Rhode Island, where they "tested MAGA loyalties twice," MAGA also failed twice, the Globe says. "Republicans in the Ocean State struggle to recruit candidates at all, a problem many blame on Trump."
New England, in which "a national political realignment" has made it "steadily more Democratic," has clearly and successfully resisted MAGA, the Globe says.
However, it's not just Democrats there rejecting MAGA.
"But there’s also been a realignment inside the GOP, away from Reagan conservatism and toward Trump’s MAGA style. New England Republicans, however, continue to resist it," the Globe reports.