| | |  | BY LISA KASHINSKY | WE’RE NOT IN BOSTON ANYMORE — Enough about the Hub (well, until you scroll down). Mayoral races are coming to a head throughout the commonwealth next week, and some of them are poised to reshape their cities for years to come. THE OPEN SEATS — Somerville, Lawrence, Lynn, Holyoke, Newburyport and North Adams are among the cities guaranteed a leadership change. Some notable contests: City Councilors Will Mbah and Katjana Ballantyne are duking it out in Somerville, where Mayor Joe Curtatone is stepping aside after nearly two decades. A slate of democratic socialists are also eyeing a city council takeover. In Lawrence, Acting Mayor Kendrys Vasquez, the city council president who took over when Mayor Dan Rivera left for MassDevelopment, is looking to fend off former city councilor Brian DePeña to secure a full term. Rivera’s supporting Vasquez. And, first in Playbook, so is Sen. Elizabeth Warren . Democratic strategist Wilnelia Rivera, who grew up in Lawrence, called this race a “culmination” of the political changes the city’s gone through since scandal-plagued former mayor William Lantigua’s days. (We chatted municipal races with GBH’s Adam Reilly on Greater Boston last night). Holyoke will get its first new mayor in a decade. City Councilor Michael Sullivan topped the ticket in the preliminary election, but Blandford town administrator Joshua Garcia wasn’t far behind. Western Mass Politics & Insight’s Matt Szafranski has your look at the general. THE FAVORED INCUMBENTS — Brockton Mayor Robert Sullivan, Haverhill Mayor Jim Fiorentini, Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll, Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan and Attleboro Mayor Paul Heroux are among the incumbents who breezed through their preliminaries back in September. But it’s not all smooth sailing through the general. CommonWealth Magazine’s Bruce Mohl reported that Massachusetts Majority, a super PAC affiliated with Gov. Charlie Baker, spent $8,589 backing Todd McGhee against Heroux in Attleboro. Coogan’s challenger, Fall River City Council President Cliff Ponte, is no cakewalk either, though his comment that the job is “ceremonial” seems to have stuck, per WPRI’s Ted Nesi, who’s got your Fall River and Attleboro mayoral debates. THE THREATENED INCUMBENTS — Massachusetts Majority put even more money, $9,900, behind Charlie Sisitsky, the former Framingham city councilor vying to unseat Yvonne Spicer , the city’s first mayor and the first popularly elected Black female mayor in the commonwealth. Sisitsky more than doubled Spicer’s vote-total in the preliminary election, and has the backing of the city’s state representatives and residents displeased with Spicer’s management. Spicer, who’s clashed with some city councilors in her first term, is backed by Warren and Rep. Ayanna Pressley. Gloucester Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken finished significantly behind former city councilor Greg Verga in her city’s preliminary. Romeo Theken has faced formal complaints and a lawsuit claiming a hostile work environment, and Verga is calling for a more transparent city government. THE EYES EMOJIS — Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria won his preliminary with 45 percent of the vote. Third-place finisher City Councilor Gerly Adrien is now backing his challenger, City Councilor Fred Capone, in a bid to take DeMaria down. Capone and Adrien won a combined 54 percent of the vote. Look to see how that shakes out, and also keep an eye on Amesbury, where state Rep. Jim Kelcourse is vying to unseat Mayor Kassandra Gove. GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Eventually, Mitt Romney and Jason Sudeikis are just going to morph into the same person. But for now, they’ll just keep parodying each other. TODAY — Rep. Jake Auchincloss joins Coogan to announce the first round of ARPA funds for Fall River at 2:15 p.m. at the police department. Acting Mayor Kim Janey attends the annual BPD hockey game at 3:30 p.m. in Roxbury. Warren campaigns with Boston City Council hopeful Ruthzee Louijeune at 4 p.m. at the Hyde Park Municipal Building. Boston mayoral rivals City Councilors Michelle Wu and Annissa Essaibi George participate in a Boston mayoral student forum at BU at 7 p.m. THIS WEEKEND — Warren hosts a meet-and-greet at 3:15 p.m. Saturday at Powers Farm in Randolph. Former MassGOP chair Jennifer Nassour talks the battle between Baker and former President Donald Trump on WBZ's “Keller at Large,” 8:30 a.m. Sunday. State Rep. Jon Santiago is this week’s guest on WCVB’s “On the Record” at 11 a.m. Sunday. | |
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|  | THE LATEST NUMBERS |
| – “New COVID cases are dropping more slowly than previous surges as more than 100 Massachusetts communities still see increases,” by Noah R. Bombard, MassLive: “The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported 1,432 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday along with 12 more confirmed COVID deaths.” – “Massachusetts surpasses major COVID vaccination milestone, Gov. Charlie Baker announces,” by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: “More than 10 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine have now been administered in Massachusetts, Gov. Charlie Baker announced Thursday afternoon.” | | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
| – State House News Service’s Katie Lannan chronicles the first day of deliberations over the $3.65 billion House spending bill combining portions of the state’s ARPA money and fiscal year 2021 surplus (paywall): “House lawmakers agreed to add on about $56 million through two bulk amendments. An $11.7 million housing and food security amendment and a $44.3 million health, human services and education amendment were both approved unanimously, leaving two consolidated amendment categories — environment and climate, and workforce and economic development — for representatives to work through when they resume their formal session Friday afternoon.” – “Massachusetts Legislature Ranks Most Liberal Nationwide, Conservative Groups Say,” by Hannah Green, GBH News: “Massachusetts lawmakers are the most liberal in the nation. Or so say two national conservative organizations, the American Conservative Union Foundation and the Conservative Political Action Conference, in an analysis released Thursday.” – “New Legislative District Maps Sent to Baker For Review,” by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service (paywall): “After a tumultuous U.S. Census process and using feedback from legislators and interest groups to refine draft House and Senate maps, lawmakers sent legislation redrawing the state's 200 legislative districts to Gov. Charlie Baker's desk on Thursday.” | | FROM THE HUB |
| – “Boston city councilors eye ‘towing bill of rights’,” by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: “City councilors are taking aim at ‘predatory’ towing practices by private companies — though they might change the title of the ordinance after raising the ire of the towing folks — as they propose to cut down on truck drivers cruising for tows without being called.” – "Boston removes tents from Mass. and Cass encampment," by Deborah Becker, WBUR: "It took about three hours Thursday for Boston workers to remove about a dozen tents and debris from part of an encampment that has gotten a lot of attention the past few weeks." – “'Mass and Cass' crisis isn't shaking Quincy's resolve to fight Long Island Bridge rebuild,” by Joe Difazio, Patriot Ledger: “Boston officials have pushed for years to rebuild the $150 million bridge and reopen Long Island's existing buildings, but there is one thing standing in the way: the City of Quincy. ‘I will never agree to a bridge reconstruction,’ Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch said. ‘It just has too many adverse (consequences).’" | | THE RACE FOR CITY HALL |
| – POLL POSITION: Another poll, another 30-point lead for Michelle Wu over Annissa Essaibi George in the Boston mayor’s race. The Emerson College/7 News survey released last night showed Wu up 61 percent to 31 percent over her fellow city councilor and mayoral rival, with 8 percent of respondents undecided. It’s closer among those who didn’t vote in the September preliminary, with 46 percent backing Wu and 42 percent backing Essaibi George, and 12 percent undecided. The poll of 500 likely voters had a margin of error of +/- 4.3 percentage points. City Councilor Julia Mejia topped the at-large council race with 48 percent support, followed by newcomer Ruthzee Louijeune with 47 percent and City Councilor Michael Flaherty with 45 percent. Erin Murphy and David Halbert were neck-and-neck for fourth at 39 percent and 37 percent respectively, and Carla Monteiro was close behind at 34 percent. – From the opinion pages: The Boston Herald editorial board has endorsed Essaibi George for mayor, calling her a “sensible centrist” whose plans are “not as flashy, but much more doable.” – “Angela Menino, wife of the late mayor, endorses Wu,” by Milton J. Valencia, Boston Globe: “Angela Menino, wife of the late Mayor Thomas M. Menino, announced her endorsement of City Councilor Michelle Wu in the mayoral race Thursday, saying she best embodies the commitment of caring for people that defined her late husband’s legacy.” – "Buffalo, Boston and the progressive run on mayoral elections," by Lisa Kashinsky and Bill Mahoney, POLITICO: "Progressives have been making legislative inroads for years, winning seats on — and in some cases sweeping — city councils and growing their caucuses in House and Senate chambers from state capitals to Capitol Hill. But executive offices have remained largely elusive. From [India] Walton in Buffalo, to Michelle Wu in Boston, Justin Bibb in Cleveland and Aftab Pureval in Cincinnati, progressive pols and groups like Our Revolution and the Working Families Party see opportunities to break that mold." – “Michelle Wu Makes Her Play for Power in Boston,” by Ellen Barry, New York Times: “Over four terms as city councilor, Ms. Wu has built a reputation for immersing herself in the nitty-gritty of government, reliably showing up at meetings on unglamorous matters. … She captivated young progressives with far-reaching proposals like a citywide Green New Deal and fare-free transit … ‘This has been thought out and played out and planned out for years,’ said Peter Kadzis, a commentator for GBH radio.” – “Immigrant groups coalition demands Michelle Wu ‘engage Boston’s Black and brown immigrant communities with the respect they deserve’,” by Sahar Fatima, Boston Globe: “A coalition of grassroots community groups has sent a letter to City Councilor Michelle Wu to share ‘grave concerns’ over her ‘treatment of Black and brown immigrant communities’ at two political forums." – "Mayoral candidates gear up for quick transition," by Emma Platoff and Milton Valencia, Boston Globe: “[Mariel Novas, Wu’s transition director, said] her charge ‘includes building a team that reflects the broad expertise, passion and diversity of our city, and taking steps to ensure that city government continues to seamlessly carry out its day-to-day responsibilities' … [Essaibi George’s] transition team meets with Essaibi George several times a week … The transition leaders often join Essaibi George at campaign stops, hearing from community members and activists and incorporating the feedback into their preparations for how her administration would run the city, should she win.” – “A Proud, Old-School Boston Pol Faces A New, Progressive Challenger In Dorchester,” by Saraya Wintersmith, GBH News: “If money raised were a reliable forecast, [Boston City Councilor Frank] Baker would be a cinch for reelection. He enjoys a five-to-one advantage over [Stephen] McBride. But if McBride were to beat the odds, the upset would be akin to a political earthquake for Dorchester and the city.” – FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Former LG candidate Quentin Palfrey, Bay State Stonewall Democrats and Massachusetts High School Democrats have endorsed David Halbert for Boston City Council at-large, per his campaign. – FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins and state Sen. Julian Cyr have endorsed Carla Monteiro for Boston City Council at-large. | | THE LOCAL ELECTIONS ROUNDUP |
| – “Gove, Kelcourse on opposite sides of Indian mascot issue,” by Jim Sullivan, Newburyport Daily News: “The School Committee created a mascot review committee in May to work out whether the district should phase out the AHS Indian mascot over a five-year period. … ‘Personally, I believe it’s time for us to begin the process to change the mascot,’ [Mayor Kassandra] Gove said. … [State Rep. Jim] Kelcourse, a member of the AHS Class of 1992, said he would vote to keep the mascot, if he could.” – "Across western Massachusetts, a half-dozen contested mayoral elections Tuesday," by Adam Frenier, New England Public Media. – "Mayoral races across Greater Boston will be decided Nov. 2," by John Hilliard, Boston Globe. | | FEELING '22 |
| – FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian is running for reelection in 2022. Koutoujian has served as sheriff for the past 10 years and as president of both the Major County Sheriffs of America and Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association. He says in an announcement going out to supporters this morning that “dual crises of Covid-19 and issues of race and policing required bold and honest leadership from law enforcement” and that while he’s proposed solutions at the local and national levels, “we have more to do.” Koutoujian’s reelection bid comes on the heels of his appointment to the First Responders Network Authority board by Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, which is not a full-time gig. – THE CASH DASH: Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito have another fundraiser on the books, this one on Election Day. Tickets range from $250 to $1,000 for the fundraiser at Dillon's in Boston. The invite was obtained by POLITICO just a couple of days after Baker said on GBH’s “Boston Public Radio” that he’s yet to decide if he’ll seek a third term. | | THE PRESSLEY PARTY |
| – “Finding mental health help isn’t easy after events like the Boston Marathon bombing. Ayanna Pressley wants to change that,” by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: “Called the Post-Disaster Mental Health Response Act, the legislation would change what events qualify for a FEMA program that sets up free crisis counseling and community care in the wake of traumatic events. Currently, the only events that qualify are ones that get ‘Major Disaster Declarations.’ [Rep. Ayanna] Pressley’s bill would expand eligibility to all ‘Emergency Declarations,’ from terrorist attacks to hurricanes and earthquakes.” – GOP Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert jabbed Pressley after an email from one of her staffers to a broader listserv asking for help switching phone lines back to live calls from voicemail was leaked yesterday. The MassGOP then sent out an email trying to fundraise off of it. Pressley’s office said in a statement that “like many congressional offices during the pandemic, we have been operating under a call-back system with staff regularly following up daily on voicemails to keep our staff safe and support remote and hybrid work.” Both her Boston and DC offices “continue to respond to constituents’ calls and emails as we always have,” a spokesperson said. | | IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN |
| – “John Kerry faces long odds to cement legacy at climate summit,” by Zack Colman, POLITICO: “Frustrated at home and facing deep skepticism abroad, [John] Kerry is facing an arduous task as his long career in public service: Delivering a global climate deal that could make or break President Joe Biden’s climate legacy.” | | PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES |
| – “MBTA moves forward with bus network redesign,” by Darryl C. Murphy, WBUR: “The transit agency says the project will focus on areas with high demand and communities that rely heavily on mass transit. This includes people of color, people with disabilities, and those with low incomes. Some of the changes in the works include reducing stops on some routes, creating corridors with more frequent service, adding direct routes and adjusting schedules to meet all-day demand. The agency also hopes to work with several municipalities to increase use of bus-only lanes.” | | THE LOCAL ANGLE |
| – “Much of the South Shore is still without power as residents, utility crews wade through the damage,” by Wheeler Cowperthwaite, Patriot Ledger: “As of press time Thursday afternoon, much of the South Shore remained without power, including all of Cohasset, Pembroke and Scituate, 99% of Norwell, 96% percent of Abington, 97% of Plympton and 84% of Marshfield, according to state data. Crews have been brought in from Canada and New Hampshire to help restore power and dozens of utility trucks could be seen staging Thursday.” 98 percent of the Cape should expect power back by Saturday evening, per the Cape Cod Times. – “Hacker accessed medical info of thousands in email breach at UMass Memorial Health,” by Mike Elfland, Worcester Telegram & Gazette: “Thousands of patients at UMass Memorial Health have been notified of a data breach involving the health system's email system. Some of the emails accessed by hackers included patient information, such as Social Security numbers and medical-related data. The breach affected more than 209,048 individuals, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which documents such incidents.” – “Head of Middlesex School takes leave of absence after decision to rescind Nikole Hannah-Jones invitation sparked backlash,” by Amanda Kaufman, Boston Globe: “David Beare, the head of Middlesex School, has taken a leave of absence after the decision to rescind a speaking invitation to New York Times journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones sparked backlash, according to a letter to the school community obtained by the Globe on Thursday." TRANSITIONS – Hannah Rehm has been promoted to be digital press secretary for Rep. Jake Auchincloss. HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to POLITICO’s Steve Heuser, Joanne Goldstein, Paolo Martins, Leora Eisenberg and Daisy Letendre. HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND – to Jackie Tempera, Sandy Flint, Lydia Chernicoff and Glenda Izaguirre, who celebrate Saturday; and to Sunday birthday-ers Samantha Ormsby, POLITICO’s Michael Kruse, Alexandra Pigeon and Boston Globe columnist Yvonne Abraham. THIS WEEK on the (HEADLESS) HORSE RACE – Hosts Steve Koczela, Jennifer Smith, and Lisa Kashinsky unpack the latest clashes in the Boston mayor's race. State Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz joins to discuss the House's new ARPA spending bill and the racial equity scorecard she helped create to add accountability to the spending. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud. 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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