Bill Weld

Bill Weld is the former governor of Massachusetts, an attorney and businessman, and the only Republican to run against President Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential elections. Widely credited with bringing Massachusetts back from the brink of bankruptcy, Bill Weld was ranked the most fiscally conservative governor in the country by both The Wall Street Journal and the Cato Institute.

When he was elected, Massachusetts faced a $1.3 billion dollar deficit. Unemployment was at 9.1% – 2.3 % above the national average – and the state had the 2nd highest income taxes per capita in the nation. Believing “there is no such thing as government money, only taxpayer money,” Bill cut taxes 21 times, balanced the budget without borrowing from Wall Street, reined in wasteful programs, improved state services, and signed into law one of the strongest welfare reform laws in the country. His regulatory reforms made state government a partner, not an adversary, to job creators and entrepreneurs.

Bill Weld achieved all this as a Republican governor in a blue state where Democrats out-numbered Republicans by more than 3 to 1 in the state legislature. Building alliances across party lines was a hallmark of his administration — a stark contrast to what is happening in Washington today. Bill restored the state’s financial health while fighting for better education, and protection of natural resources & open space. He was one of the first governors in the U.S. to advocate equal rights for the LGBTQ community, demonstrating his unequivocal belief that all citizens be treated equally.