The Republican candidate for lieutenant governor in Massachusetts suspended his campaign on Sunday, hours after police arrested him following a single-vehicle crash in which his car struck multiple parked vehicles and overturned.
Shawn Oliver, a 42-year-old city councilor in New Bedford and a corrections officer, announced his departure from the ticket in a post on social media, stating that the election is too important to be overshadowed by personal matters. The decision arrived shortly after Mike Minogue, his gubernatorial running mate, publicly demanded that Oliver step down immediately and vowed to press for his formal resignation if their ticket is elected.
The late-night incident occurred Saturday, according to Holly Huntoon, a police spokesperson. Authorities responded to the crash scene where Oliver’s vehicle hit several parked cars before flipping over. Emergency responders transported him to a hospital for treatment of his injuries. Police subsequently arrested him on suspicion of operating under the influence of alcohol, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, a marked lanes violation, and speeding. The arrest was first reported by The New Bedford Light.
Campaign Fallout and Institutional Response
Minogue expressed sharp condemnation of his former running mate’s actions following the crash. “I am extremely disappointed,” Minogue wrote on X. “There is no excuse for driving under the influence.” He added that Oliver is fortunate to be alive and fortunate that no innocent bystanders were injured.
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The unfolding scandal introduces severe friction to the Republican gubernatorial ticket as it prepares for the November 3 election, where Minogue faces incumbent Democratic Governor Maura Healey. The Democratic ticket features incumbent Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. While the lieutenant governor’s position in Massachusetts operates largely as a ceremonial office, the occupant stands first in line to assume the governorship should the governor resign or die.
Jon Mitchell, the Democratic mayor of New Bedford, called the allegations against the city councilor deeply concerning and stated that the public deserves an accounting of the events. Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Department of Correction placed Oliver on restricted work duty at the Massachusetts Treatment Center while authorities review the facts and circumstances of the case, according to agency spokesperson Lindsay Corcoran. The medium-security facility houses sex offenders and individuals civilly committed as sexually dangerous persons.
Oliver, who was born and raised in New Bedford—a city of 100,000 residents located approximately 60 miles south of Boston—won election to the city council in 2023. A phone message left at his office seeking comment was not immediately returned.
