Massachusetts GOP ticket rocked by alleged drunken crash as candidate abruptly halts campaign

Fox News, ABC News and PBS NewsHour report that Shawn Oliver, the Republican nominee for Massachusetts lieutenant governor, has quit the race after being arrested over a suspected drunk driving wreck. Oliver, 42, serves on the New Bedford city council and works as a corrections officer. He said on X that the election was too important to be overshadowed by personal matters, according to Fox News · ABC News.

Police say a vehicle hit several parked cars late Saturday and flipped over. Fox News adds that it happened around 11:40 p.m. on Dartmouth Street, that two of five parked vehicles were badly damaged, and that Oliver was treated at St. Luke's Hospital. He faces charges of operating under the influence, negligent operation, a marked lanes violation and speeding, according to police spokesperson Holly Huntoon, who spoke to ABC News and PBS NewsHour.

Gubernatorial nominee Mike Minogue, Oliver's running mate, urged him to step aside and said he would seek Oliver's resignation if elected. Minogue, a businessman and veteran, challenges Gov. Maura Healey; Kim Driscoll is the Democratic lieutenant governor nominee. ABC News and PBS NewsHour add that Oliver is on restricted duty at the Massachusetts Treatment Center, and that Mayor Jon Mitchell called the allegations deeply concerning.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Fox News · ABC News, ABC News and PBS NewsHour’s reporting. Read the full story at Fox News · ABC News → Also at ABC News → Also at PBS NewsHour →