Democratic Gov. Maura Healey is going to be tough to beat in 2026 no matter what the early polls say.

You can’t beat somebody with nobody, especially a somebody who is an incumbent like the governor with all the trappings of the office at her disposal.

There is still plenty of time for things to change, of course, but so far, the two Republican challengers to the progressive governor’s re-election plans are still in the nobody stages of their campaigns.

They are Mike Kennealy of Lexington and Brian Shortsleeve of Barnstable, both of whom served in the administration of former GOP Gov. Charlie Baker, Kennealy in housing and Shortsleeve as an MBTA official.

But before they can run against Healey, one of them must win the Republican Party convention endorsement and a GOP primary. It is not an easy road.

Four years ago, Geoff Diehl, Healey’s Republican opponent, spent a lot of time, money and energy beating primary challenger businessman Chris Doughty before he could run against Healey in the November election.

While he defeated Doughty in the primary, gaining 148,970 votes to 119,288 for Doughty, the campaign cost him dearly. Already an underdog, he was later demolished by Healey in the November 2022 election by 1,584,403 votes for Healey to 859,343 for Diehl.

There is no doubt Diehl would have done better against Healey had he not had a primary challenger, but in progressive, anti-Trump Massachusetts he almost certainly would have lost anyway.

Either Kennealy or Shortsleeve would stand a better chance against Healey if they did not have to campaign against each other in a Republican primary.

So now comes 2026 and Healey’s decision to seek a second four-year term, a term she is favorably expected to win handily no matter who her Republican opponent is, despite an early poll.

A survey released by the University of New Hampshire reported that less than half of the 907 Massachusetts voters polled approved of Healey’s performance, news of which was welcomed by both Kennealy and Shortsleeve.

The anti-Healey people polled were probably Massachusetts voters abandoning Massachusetts for the Granite State.

The same survey seemed to step on itself, however, by pointing out that 78% of the Democrats polled thought that Healey was doing just fine.

Both Kennealy and Shortsleeve are Charlie Baker Republicans, candidates who must appeal to Democrats and independents to win, the way Baker did.

But Baker, in his first run for governor, was defeated by Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick —and the power of incumbency — in 2010. It was only four years later, after Patrick declined to run for a third term and the seat became open, that Baker was elected.

If Healey has a problem winning a second term it will not come from a Republican candidate, especially one who refuses to support Donald Trump. Trump is the only thing the Republicans have going for them.

The biggest potential threat to Healey is from fellow Democrat Diana DiZoglio, should she decide to challenge Healey in the Democratic primary.

While DiZoglio has insisted that she has no plans to challenge Healey, she has a group of supporters, frustrated by Beacon Hill, who are urging her to run.

The frustration is over DiZoglio’s plans, stymied by the Democratic establishment at the State House — particularly Attorney General Andrea Campbell — to audit the Massachusetts Legislature.

While the question granting DiZoglio the power to audit the Legislature was approved by a whopping 72% of the voters in the last election, Campbell has joined legislative leaders in blocking its implementation.

Campbell, the state’s “chief law enforcement officer,” has expressed more concern over the “rights” of illegal immigrants than she has for the will of Massachusetts citizens.

DiZoglio, who served in both the House and the Senate, was elected auditor in 2022 largely because she campaigned on opening the books of the Massachusetts Legislature.

It was a winning issue. It still is. So watch out.

Veteran political reporter Peter Lucas can be reached at: peter.lucas@bostonherald.com