PHILLIPSTON — The Orange Republican Town Committee is sponsoring a meet-and-greet with Geoff Diehl, so far the only Republican candidate for governor, at the King Phillip Restaurant on Sunday.
Diehl, a former state representative from Whitman, will visit from 2 to 4 p.m.
Orange Republican Town Committee Chair Ray Younghans said admission is free. He said Diehl was invited because “he is very, very conservative.” Also, Diehl supports three citizens petitions expected to be on the November 2022 state ballot, all of which are in the signature-collection phase’s final two weeks. The petitions pertain to requiring identification to vote in Massachusetts, rejecting the Transportation and Climate Initiative gas tax, and “providing health care to babies born alive.” Information about these petitions has been posted to Diehl’s website at bit.ly/31WGApv.
Diehl, who is married and has two teenage daughters, has been a small business owner for 20 years and was the Republican nominee in the 2018 U.S. Senate election in Massachusetts, receiving 36 percent of the vote and losing to Democratic incumbent Elizabeth Warren.
Diehl, elected to the state House of Representatives, visited Orange while on the campaign trail in the spring of 2017. He joined a couple of candidates for different offices at the Orange Republican Town Committee’s meet-and-greet in the community room of the Fiske-Murphy & Mack Funeral Home at 110 New Athol Road. Diehl said he served as co-chair of the state effort to elect Donald Trump as president.
Younghans said Sunday’s event will feature a cash bar and appetizers will be served at 3 p.m.
Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 262.