Bill Galvin, Massachusetts’ Secretary of State, is back on your TV and digital screens, his familiar face plastered across ads urging “voter registration” and “election integrity.” But let’s be crystal clear: this isn’t public service. This is a taxpayer-funded re-election campaign disguised as civic duty.
Galvin’s office trots out the tired line that these are “crucial non-partisan efforts.” Even some voter advocacy groups, bless their hearts, offer a cautious nod. But anyone with eyes and a brain knows what this really is: a long-serving politician, first elected in 1994, using your tax dollars to stay relevant and keep his name in lights.
Your Money, His Face
These so-called public service announcements, or PSAs, are bankrolled by the Massachusetts Secretary of State’s office. That means you, the taxpayer, foot the bill. The precise cost of this particular vanity project isn’t public yet.
But previous voter education campaigns by his office ran into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Let’s put this in perspective: Galvin’s office blew $2 million on fraud victim spots from 2019-2020. All of them featured Galvin. Shocking, I know. Convenient, isn’t it?
As Pioneer Institute’s Mary Connaughton rightly points out, this is “right out of the Massachusetts politicians’ playbook.” It’s a sleazy tradition. Pols hijack taxpayer dollars for free airtime, skirting ethics rules without actually breaking campaign laws.
It’s a masterclass in political opportunism, dressed up in the flag.
Galvin says:
“Our goal is always to make sure every eligible voter in Massachusetts has the opportunity to register and cast their ballot securely and confidently.”
Noble words, but let’s cut through the fluff. Beneath the veneer of civic duty, a more self-serving agenda surely lurks. Is he truly worried about civic engagement? Or about keeping his name in front of voters for another term at our expense?
The “Non-Partisan” Incumbent
The ads themselves are vague. They feature Galvin directly addressing the camera. They mention online voter registration. They promise election security.
But Reddit users on r/massachusetts and r/boston are already calling them a “vanity project.” They mock the “AI-generated heroes” and “Minutemen clips” behind Galvin’s mug. Many see “no real voting info,” just Galvin’s face over patriotic imagery.
Is it a coincidence these ads drop as election season ramps up? As candidate filings start? Galvin’s office insists, with a straight face, the content is “strictly informational.” Yet, the public isn’t buying it. On X, the public isn’t mincing words, asking if Galvin is “tone deaf or deliberately cynical.” When WBZ-TV viewers tipped off the station, it wasn’t because they loved the ads. It was because they smelled a rat.
The Red Marker Verdict
Here’s the raw truth, straight from the Red Marker. Bill Galvin isn’t just promoting civic duty; he’s promoting Bill Galvin.
This is the oldest trick in the Massachusetts political playbook: incumbents using state funds to boost their own name recognition. It’s free airtime, skirting campaign finance laws.
It’s a cynical power grab, disguised as democracy in action.
His office claims they recovered $10 million last year from fraud tips. Some speculate he funnels that money right back into more “Galvin face-time.”
Don’t let these “public service announcements” lull you. They’re nothing but a re-election campaign on your dime. Massachusetts deserves more than this cynical, taxpayer-funded charade.
It’s time we stopped letting career politicians treat our public funds as their personal campaign war chest. Don’t just scoff at these ads; remember them when election day rolls around.
It’s time to call this grift what it is, and demand accountability from those who pull it.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (query: William F. Galvin)
Source: Google News
