Here’s Who Paid For Massachusetts Governor Healey’s Super Bowl Trip

One of the perks of being the Governor of Massachusetts is that you get to go places and do things that the rest of us could only dream of, and quite often, you don't have to pay for it.

Gov. Maura Healey attended Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Sunday, sporting a New England Patriots jersey.

Healey was away from Thursday through Monday, leaving Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll in charge of the store.

Who Paid for Healey’s Super Bowl Trip?

The first thing I asked upon learning of the excursion was, "Who is paying for this?" It's a natural reaction for someone with nearly 50 years as a journalist.

The short answer: not Healey.

Healey's re-election campaign told Boston's NPR station WBUR that the trip west would allow Healey to "promote the state's economy and tourism" while "helping elect Democratic governors in other states."

The statement said Healey's "political committee and [Democratic Governors Association] are covering all costs."

"Her travel is not being paid by taxpayers," according to the statement.

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How Previous Massachusetts Governors Handled Super Bowl Trips

Former Gov. Charlie Baker attended three Super Bowl games, but only one, Super Bowl LIII in 2019, as the governor. The Patriots beat the Rams in the match-up, and Baker paid his own way to the game, including the ticket.

The Patriots appeared in three Super Bowls (XLII, XLVI, and XLIX) while Deval Patrick was governor, but Patrick attended none of the championship games.

Former Gov. Mitt Romney attended two Super Bowls, the first in 1995 as the guest of Donald Trump and the second in 2005. The Patriots won two Super Bowls while Romney was governor (2004, 2005), but he attended neither game.