From Migrant Housing to Energy Bills: How Healey Has Spent Over Half Her Tenure in Emergency Status

Maura Healey became Massachusetts Governor on January 5, 2023. As voters consider giving Healey another four years, it's worth noting the Commonwealth has spent more than 730 days under a state of emergency during her tenure.

A Breakdown of Gov. Healey's Major State of Emergency Declarations

As of October 6, 2026, Healey had been in office for 1,370 days. For more than half of that time, roughly 731 days, the Commonwealth was under a state of emergency. Only about 639 days of Healey's time in office through October 6, 2026 were free of that designation.

Healey first declared a state of emergency on August 8, 2023, during what she termed a "migrant crisis." That changed 724 days later on August 1, 2025, when Healey announced she was lifting the emergency designation.

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Energy Crisis and Winter Weather: The Recent Emergency Powers

Just 431 days after lifting the first state of emergency, Healey imposed a second, declaring a "state of energy emergency" on October 5, 2026, promising voters temporary relief from extraordinarily high energy bills. That designation remains in place.

Massachusetts Has Been Under A State Of Emergency For Most Of Healey's Term

Let's not forget that Healey also imposed a five-day state of emergency from February 22, 2026, to February 27, 2026, during a record-setting blizzard. That's standard during severe weather situations. There may have been other weather-related emergencies declared during Healey's tenure.

Comparing Healey's Emergency Timeline to Governors Baker and Patrick

Previous governors, including Charlie Baker and Deval Patrick, declared states of emergency to address major storms. Baker held Massachusetts under a state of emergency for 473 days (March 10, 2020 to June 15, 2021) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What Does Declaring a State of Emergency Grant the Massachusetts Governor?

In Massachusetts, a state of emergency is an official declaration by the governor when there is an actual or imminent threat of a natural or manmade disaster. The declaration grants the governor extraordinary executive powers to manage the crisis and makes the state eligible for federal financial assistance.