| | |  | BY LISA KASHINSKY | READ RECEIPTS — Gov. Charlie Baker’s bank account certainly looks like he was gearing up to run for a third term. Baker raised $287,103 in November — the kind of monthly haul he's not seen since his 2018 reelection campaign. His bank account swelled to $884,439, the highest it’s been since January 2020, according to his state Office of Campaign and Political Finance filings. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito posted a similar fundraising bump. She raked in $193,914 last month, her highest monthly haul since July 2019. And she ended November with nearly $2.5 million in the bank, the most she’s stashed in her coffers since October 2018. Baker was also testing his numbers. The GOP governor paid the Tarrance Group, a Republican polling and research firm, $46,109 in November for “survey research,” according to his OCPF report. “Committees routinely conduct survey research,” Baker campaign spokesperson Jim Conroy said in a statement. “Our information, consistent with public survey research, showed that Governor Baker and Lieutenant Governor Polito were in a very strong position to seek reelection.” Baker’s political team declined to provide the survey’s results or specify whether they polled the primary election, general election or both. The governor reiterated Sunday after a Hanukkah menorah lighting that he “never made any decision about running based on whether I would win or lose.” But he opted not to seek reelection even after a big-money November fueled by at least three fundraisers, and with at least two more already on the books for December. Baker and Polito still attended a Wednesday gathering at a supporter’s house that had been billed as a fundraiser. But, following their joint decision to bow out of the 2022 race, they didn’t accept contributions, Conroy said. A Dec. 14 Baker-Polito event in Springfield will go on as planned, again minus the checks. Conroy said Baker and Polito will also provide refunds to donors who request them. Former state Rep. Geoff Diehl, the sole major GOP candidate right now, raised $45,448 in November and had $58,834 in the bank. Democrats' November reports weren't up last night. GOOD MONDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Speaking of 2022… FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: The industry-backed coalition proposing a 2022 ballot question to classify app-based drivers as independent contractors is launching a new website and its first digital ad today. “We need new rules for the road,” a woman says in the minute-plus video that officially launches the “Yes for Massachusetts Drivers” campaign. The video is part of an under-$50,000 digital buy from the Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Instacart-backed coalition, and serves as an opening salvo in what’s anticipated to be a costly ballot battle. The video drops days after the coalition submitted signatures for two versions of its proposed ballot question to the secretary of state's office for review. There are several more steps before either version could appear before voters. The coalition contends in its video that approving the ballot question could ensure drivers’ flexibility, bring “historic benefits" and “stop the lawsuit” filed by state Attorney General Maura Healey that argues drivers and deliverers are currently being misclassified as independent contractors and denied benefits in violation of state law. TODAY — State Auditor Suzanne Bump testifies before the Legislature at 10 a.m. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu introduces her new Covid-19 Advisory Committee at 11 a.m. at City Hall. Rep. Katherine Clark holds a press conference about clean water infrastructure provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act at 1 p.m. at the South Natick Dam. Governor-hopeful former state Sen. Ben Downing is on Bloomberg Baystate Business at 3:30 p.m. Rep. Jake Auchincloss joins a local League of Women Voters Zoom conversation at 7:30 p.m. Send your tips, birthdays and campaign announcements to lkashinsky@politico.com. | |
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|  | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
| – “Massachusetts Legislature’s American Rescue Plan proposal lands on Charlie Baker’s desk,” by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: “After a months-long tug-of-war between Gov. Charlie Baker’s urge to quickly get federal American Rescue Plan funds on the street and the Legislature’s slower, more deliberate approach, a $4 billion legislative ARPA proposal has finally landed on Baker’s desk.” – “State tax revenues keep heading higher,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “State tax collections kept humming along in November, with revenues coming in nearly 14 percent above last year and nearly 9 percent over the projections on which this year’s budget was based. For the first five months of the fiscal year, revenues were $2.1 billion higher than they were in the same period last year and $914 million, or 7.2 percent, more than projected.” – “Senator says businesses bearing burden of unemployment fraud,” by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: “Candidate for state auditor, state Sen. Diana DiZoglio is calling for ‘sorely needed clarity’ in the effort to replenish the unemployment trust — drained during the pandemic — with businesses apparently on the hook to pay back an eye-popping $7 billion — including nearly $2 billion in fraud.” | | VAX-ACHUSETTS |
| – “Omicron coronavirus variant found in Massachusetts,” by Alexi Cohan, Boston Herald: “The omicron variant has made it to Massachusetts, as a woman from Middlesex County who had traveled out of state has been diagnosed with the first case of it here, the Department of Public Health announced Saturday. The woman is in her 20s and is fully vaccinated. She has mild disease that has not required hospitalization, according to DPH." – As omicron spreads, demand for vaccine boosters is “sky high,” according to WBUR’s Amanda Beland: “So high, that staff at a walk-in vaccine clinic run by Tufts Medical Center are starting to set boundaries." – Gov. Charlie Baker said the state is looking to open more local vaccine clinics, and about a dozen communities have stepped up so far, per the Boston Globe’s John Hilliard and Gal Tziperman Lotan. – Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito got their vaccine booster doses on Friday, and estimated that Covid-19 hospitalizations could drop by half if everyone got vaccinated, per the Boston Herald's Amy Sokolow. – “‘It is relentless, and it is exhausting’: Boston scientists race to find Omicron before it spreads too far,” by Kay Lazar, Boston Globe: “The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard has become the region’s powerhouse for monitoring shifts in the genetic makeup of the coronavirus. While the first Omicron case reported in Massachusetts on Saturday was sequenced by a different lab, many of the subsequent cases, when they arrive, will travel through this high-tech labyrinth.” – “'Critical' bed shortage in central Mass. leaves hospitals scrambling for solutions,” by Mark Herz, GBH News: “[Dr. Eric Dickson, president and CEO of UMass Memorial Health, said], ‘but even under the best case scenario, there's going to be more patients than we have room for within our existing beds. So we're already starting to develop plans to surge into other areas and even developing plans to move into a [field] surge hospital like the DCU [convention center in Worcester], which we've had to do twice before.’” – “This Mass. school lifted its mask mandate for three weeks. Officials say it was a surprising success,” by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: “The Hopkinton School Committee voted Thursday night to extend the trial for another three weeks, allowing vaccinated students and staff at the high school to again go mask-less indoors beginning this Monday through the winter break.” – “About 200 caregivers fired by UMass Memorial Health for not complying with COVID vaccine mandate,” by Melissa Hanson, MassLive. – “Businesses split over vaccine passport rollout in Massachusetts,” by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald. | | FROM THE HUB |
| – “Unenrolled voters outpace Democrats on Boston voter rolls,” by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: “There are now more unenrolled voters in Boston than there are Democrats, per new data, as the city proves no exception to the statewide trend. Boston’s 444,085 registered voters include 209,801 unenrolled residents and 207,323 Democrats and 22,097 Republicans. … there’s some more tongue-in-cheek designations, like the Pirate Party, which boasts 67 Bostonians ... [and the] Pizza Party." – “Demand for housing assistance accelerating rapidly,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “A report released this week by Metro Housing Boston puts a staggering figure on just how much help greater Boston residents have needed. In one year, beginning in July 2020, the agency distributed $63.2 million in housing assistance funds to 10,200 low-income households in the Boston area. In comparison, the previous year, the agency distributed $5.1 million to 1,800 households." – “Nonprofit launches ‘Black City Hall’ to address gaps in access to critical services,” by Tiana Woodard, Boston Globe: “Boston’s long history of racism means Black Bostonians have more trouble accessing the economic, social, and health support they need, leaving them more vulnerable in times of stress. Addressing these gaps is the driving force behind the Community Communications Center, a virtual ‘Black City Hall,’ launched by a Boston nonprofit where Black Bostonians can ask for help with securing food assistance, scheduling a COVID-19 booster shot, or repairing their credit.” – “Roundhouse hotel plan an option because ‘we’re up against the clock’ on Mass and Cass, Michelle Wu says,” by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: “Mayor Michelle Wu maintained that the Mass and Cass Roundhouse hotel plans remain on the table as she vowed to get the homeless out of tents before the depths of winter set in. 'My charge has been by mid-December, we need to have 200 beds that will house all of our residents currently in the encampment,' Wu told reporters before an unrelated event on Friday." | | FEELING '22 |
| – FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Democratic lieutenant governor hopeful Adam Hinds is rolling out more endorsements from state and local electeds today. Hinds has been endorsed by fellow state Senate colleagues Julian Cyr, Brendan Crighton and Mike Rush; state Reps. Smitty Pignatelli, William Strauss and John Barrett; Greenfield Mayor Roxann Wedegartner; Pittsfield Mayor Linda Tyer and North Adams Mayor Thomas Bernard, per his campaign. – "Goldberg Seems To Tip Hand On Reelection Plan," by Michael P. Norton, State House News Service (paywall): "Two-term Treasurer Deb Goldberg may wait until next year to officially announce her political plans but seemed to tip her hand in a radio interview Thursday when she said she looked forward to working with the next governor and talked about how much she loves her job." – "Cape Air CEO Dan Wolf stepping down after 32 years. What's next for him and the airline," by Doug Fraser, Cape Cod Times: "After 32 years as founder and chief executive officer, Dan Wolf is handing over leadership of Cape Air to current president Linda Markham. ... Wolf seriously considered a run for governor in 2018 against current Gov. Charlie Baker, and unsuccessfully ran in a crowded field in 2014 to fill the seat of Gov. Deval Patrick, who did not run for reelection. This week Baker said he will not be running for another term, but Wolf, while not directly saying he wasn't going to run, said the timing of his announcement Friday that he was stepping down as Cape Air CEO was purely coincidental." | | PARTY POLITICS |
| – “‘A real fight for our existence’: Massachusetts GOP spirals in Baker exit,” by Lisa Kashinsky, POLITICO: “Gov. Charlie Baker kept Republicans relevant in deep-blue Massachusetts. Now his exit has the GOP at each others' throats. ... Baker, the governor since 2015, stood tall as a moderate firewall against the growing pro-Trump sentiment within his party in a state where the president was — and still is — wildly unpopular. ... His departure leaves a massive void for a Republican Party that’s long suffered from a shallow bench in Massachusetts." – “Baker and Polito’s decision to exit is another blow to the struggling Massachusetts GOP,” by Emma Platoff, Boston Globe: “In a tumultuous 24-hour span, the Massachusetts GOP learned it would lose its only two statewide office holders, gave up a seat in the state House, imploded at a routine meeting, and missed a threshold to put priority initiatives on the 2022 ballot." | | THE OPINION PAGES |
| – “Would Marty Walsh jump into a governor’s race?” by Adrian Walker, Boston Globe: “While it is true that politicians often play coy about their interest in offices beyond their own, [state Attorney General Maura] Healey has never, to my knowledge, exhibited a driving passion for seeking the governor’s office. … Running for governor is probably, to [Labor Secretary Marty] Walsh’s mind, a logical progression from being mayor — even though Boston mayors have ever so rarely won the corner office. ... Walsh would be making a mistake though, to assume that this would be an easy race." – “With Charlie Baker out, who will big business back for governor?” by Shirley Leung, Boston Globe: “Like others in the business community, John Fish, chief executive of Suffolk construction and a major political donor, describes himself as being in a ‘wait and see’ mode on whom to support. Fish is among prominent CEOs who had urged Baker to run for a third term, in part to provide political stability after Boston has gone through three mayors in one year.” | | TODAY'S SPECIAL (ELECTION) |
| – “Lydia Edwards talks Methadone Mile and free MBTA with sights set on State House,” by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: “City Councilor Lydia Edwards is looking to shed City Hall for Beacon Hill, where she would be a big progressive ally to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu in the quest for a free MBTA, but says the two are at odds on other issues.” Watch Edwards’ interview on WCVB’s “On the Record.” | | DAY IN COURT |
| – “SJC case could upend franchise laws,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “The Supreme Judicial Court will hear arguments Wednesday in a case that could upend the way state labor laws apply to franchise business owners. … The core of the case, Dhananjay Patel vs. 7-Eleven, which was filed by five 7-Eleven franchise owners, is whether the Massachusetts law that distinguishes between an independent contractor and an employee applies to franchisees.” | | THE PRESSLEY PARTY |
| – “All Ayanna Pressley wants for Christmas is her Mariah Carey album returned,” by Dana Gerber, Boston Globe: “Representative Ayanna Pressley made an A-list connection Friday after she revealed that one of her beloved records — a Christmas LP by five-time Grammy winner Mariah Carey — had mysteriously gone missing.” | | TRUMPACHUSETTS |
| – “Let's Go Brandon store opens in North Attleborough,” by WJAR: “A Let's Go Brandon store has opened in North Attleborough. The North Washington Street store sells ‘Let's Go Brandon’ merchandise like hats, shirts, and signs.” | | FROM THE 413 |
| – “After pushing to get peers back in the classroom during COVID, this teenager is now on the Chicopee School Committee,” by Cassie McGrath, MassLive: “In the summer of 2020, high school senior Tim Wagner sat in school committee meetings trying to negotiate a way to bring his career tech program classmates at Chicopee Comprehensive High School back into the classroom. … In November, just over a year later, the 18-year-old was elected to the Chicopee School Committee.” – “State delays Springfield courthouse cleanup as it awaits January report, sparking frustration,” by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican. – “Great Barrington doctor visited by FBI billed Medicare for more skin biopsies than any U.S. dermatologist,” by Francesca Paris, Berkshire Eagle. | | THE LOCAL ANGLE |
| – “More overtime fewer inmates: Here's a look at Barnstable County Sheriff spending,” by Jeannette Hinkle, Cape Cod Times: “Overtime spending has gradually taken up more of the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office payroll budget over the past 10 years, even as the number of inmates held at the Barnstable County Correctional Facility, which the sheriff oversees, has dropped, according to a Times analysis of sheriff payroll data. In 2021, department employees earned $8,094 in overtime pay on average, but many made much more." – “Keating: Pilgrim owner backs off plan to discharge radioactive water into Cape Cod Bay early next year,” by John Hilliard and David Abel, Boston Globe: “The owner of Plymouth’s closed Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station backed off a plan to discharge radioactive water into Cape Cod Bay early next year, a move that will give the public and elected leaders a chance to weigh in on how to safely remove the material from the facility, US Representative William Keating said on Saturday." | | IN CASE YOU MISSED IT |
| – “Feds fume over Herald’s Jennifer Granholm SUV gas story,” by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: “[U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer] Granholm made the front page in Saturday’s paper when she followed up her comments here about the need for more investment in efficient, sustainable infrastructure through President Biden’s ‘Build Back Better’ bill by hopping right into a Chevy Suburban Premier, which doesn’t rank particularly well in terms of environmental friendliness. But the feds felt like the Herald’s focus on the 'gas-guzzler' SUV was just pumping up a non-issue. ‘Would the Herald run this kind of a story if it was a minivan?'" – “Disgraced FBI agent John ‘Zip’ Connolly in Massachusetts on full pension,” by Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald. – “Here’s how much Massachusetts families could benefit from Biden’s ‘Build Back Better’ plan,” by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com. – “Green Line Extension tests first trains at Lechmere, Union Square,” by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald. – IN MEMORIAM: “‘A true statesman’; Rep. Jim McGovern, Sen. Ed Markey join bipartisan tributes to former Sen. Bob Dole,” by Benjamin Kail, MassLive. – IN MEMORIAM: “Philip Heymann, former Harvard Law professor and US deputy attorney general, dies at 89,” by Bryan Marquard, Boston Globe. TRANSITIONS – Thomas Dalton is joining state AG Maura Healey’s office as deputy press secretary; Dalton was previously communications director for state Sen. Jason Lewis. HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to state Rep. Peter Durant, Tim Biba, Adam Hogue, Ali Schmidt-Fellner and Hanna Switlekowski. Happy belated to Merrilee Rogers, legislative assistant to Rep. Jake Auchincloss, who celebrated Sunday. Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com. | |
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