Rain didn’t stop Republican Massachusetts gubernatorial candidates Geoff Diehl and Chris Doughty from getting their message to voters. Both spent part of Monday marching in the Marlborough Labor Day parade ahead of Tuesday's primary.

"We feel good," Diehl said. "We've got a ton of volunteers here obviously and my running mate Leah Allen is with me.”

What You Need To Know

  • Geoff Diehl and Chris Doughty are the two Republicans on the ballot this year for Massachusetts governor

  • Voters will select one of the two to move on to November's general election Tuesday

  • Diehl served in the legislature for eight years as a state representative while Doughty is looking for his first chance in public office

"We feel so many people moving over to our campaign," Doughty said. "We have more lawn sign requests than we could ever possibly fill at this point."

Diehl and Doughty are running to succeed a popular Republican governor in Charlie Baker, who isn’t running for reelection after two terms in office.

Diehl, who served as a state representative for eight years, is endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

"Having his endorsement as the former president is going to be big for the Republican primary," Diehl said. "So, we're excited about that."

Diehl came up short in a Senate run against Elizabeth Warren in 2018. 

During this campaign, he’s emphasizing the need for updated infrastructure, expanding housing options, and supporting law enforcement. Having spent almost a decade in the legislature, Diehl says he’s running on his record.

"I helped stop the gas tax in Massachusetts from going up every year without a vote," said Diehl. "When I was in the legislature, I always wanted to make sure I was doing right by the people of my district. It wasn't about any ideology."

Doughty, a businessman from Wrentham, is running with former State Representative Kate Campanale. 

He breaks his campaign down into three fundamental issues: lowering taxes, keeping the statehouse balanced, and addressing the affordability of Massachusetts.

"It's too expensive," said Doughty. "We're the third most expensive state in the country on almost every level: housing, transportation, medical, even groceries."

Early voting numbers were low in some Central and Western Massachusetts communities, and Doughty is encouraging those who haven't yet to get to the polls Tuesday.

"There are two things we do in a democracy that matter," Doughty said. "Jury duty and voting. America doesn't ask a lot of us. Just two simple things, it's all they ask is."