He further cemented his outsider image by pointing out that he and Healey had “not lived on Beacon Hill for the past few decades but out with other citizens.”

Romney lives in the affluent suburb of Belmont, Mass.

By the time their remarks had ended, Rappoport joined them on stage in a show of support for the ticket.

Grabauskas Emerges Victorious

Also yesterday Republican voters picked Daniel A. Grabauskas to be their nominee for state treasurer in a race that will allow the party to capitalize on the widespread support he gained for his administration of the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

By a close vote, Grabauskas defeated local businessperson Bruce A. Herzfelder ’81 to become the first openly gay statewide Republican candidate.

Joined onstage by his longtime partner Paul Keenan and dozens of other supporters, he pledged “to all the people in Massachusetts, to first and foremost make excellence the watchword” of his administration.

He touted his achievements at the Department of Motor Vehicles, where he slashed average waiting times for customer services from more than an hour to 10 minutes.

Now he faces Democratic nominee and Norfolk County Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill in November’s general election.

“This is a big state, and not many people are paying attention to this race,” he said in an interview. “The Democrats chose the candidate they wanted, but I am sure I could have bested any of them.”

—Staff writer Ronaldo Rauseo-Ricupero can be reached at rauseo@fas.harvard.edu.